Mirai no Kusari
by Jason M. Lee
Summary: AU, slight OOCness. KxK, BxT, usual pairings (if all possible). Close to reincarnation. Part 5: Slight holiday hijinks, family meetings once again, and a break from the usual chaos (yeah right).
1. Police Profile

Police Profile  
  
  
A little insight on three of the main characters in "Mirai no Kusari" (Future Chains). Nothing much.  
  
Disclaimers: Kevin and Kenneth is Kenshin, who belongs to Watsuki-sensei. Kazeki is mine.  
  
===============================  
  
  
Name: Hilmringer, Kevin Hakan Bartolome  
  
AKA: Battai  
  
Age: 24  
  
DOB: 06/20/78  
  
Height: 5' 6"  
  
Ethnicity: Japanese/American/Irish  
  
Rank: Captain II  
  
Speed, efficiency, strategy, strength, and cool. The few words to describe Kevin. Protective over those he love (rarely showing) and if displaying his emotions, they seem to be rough. Though underneath the gruffness, he has a gentle heart. As a child, teachers often saw him as a violent and troubled boy but the main reason was that the other kids usually teased the twins because of their long hair. Surprisingly, Kevin's temporary social problems didn't interefere with his academics, resulting in straight A's. Extremely the top in every of his P.E. classes, the attention of almost all the girls while in school, and envied by his fellow classmates.  
  
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%  
  
Name: Hilmringer, Kenneth Rufus Banjir  
  
AKA: Softwin  
  
Age: 24  
  
DOB: 06/20/78  
  
Height: 5' 6"  
  
Ethnicity: Japanese/American/Irish  
  
Rank: Sergeant II, negotiator  
  
Calm, collected, peaceful, emphathic, and caring. One can say that he's the opposite of his older twin. With a smile that could diffuse almost any situation. Kids love to play with him and if found near a park, Ken is always surrounded by children. In childhood, he was often watched over by Kevin, since some of the bullies took advantage of his kindness. Thankfully, Ken didn't develop any mental problems and also excelled in his academic courses, especially in physical education. Alongside with his older brother, Ken was also the heartthrob in school, resulting a large fan club to form.  
  
There are rumors of him being like his brother, if hard pressed.  
  
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%  
  
Name: Shinryuu Kazeki  
  
AKA: Speedy, Zeke  
  
Age: 16  
  
DOB: 08/13/86  
  
Height: 4' 10"  
  
Ethnicity: Chinese/Japanese  
  
Rank: Rookie Officer  
  
An orphan with a younger brother, both under Kenneth's guardianship. Zeke is more of a protege to Ken, being the only 16 year-old to have graduated from Tokyo University with the highest honors, and from West Point on second highest honor. Not to mention the only teen to be in the police force. The result from two rival yakuza leaders, he's lived a hard life, protecting his sibling after Zeke's older sister died trying to save the two. Though living in a tough environment, both boys still retained a spark of innocence and determination. The two were taken under Ken's wing when the older man was visiting Tokyo on a vacation. Most of the times, Zeke is very odd.  
  
  
  
===============================  
  
AN: If anyone want's to see how an angry Kenneth looks like, here's this: http://sekihara.dreamhost.com/Akabeko/nishikie/ymaguchi/jinchuu5.jpg  
  
It's from Sekihara Tae's site and from the doujin "Jinchuu", by Yamaguchi Shinji. *turns around, ears turning red* I won't say anything about the doujinshi, though. Don't blame me if any of you folks faint. 


	2. Beginning Links

Finally! I'm done with the 1st chapter of my AU RK fic! My first big one....... IF I can actually focus on this, though. This is merely a teaser and I'd like the readers/reviewers' opinion on this before actually continuing. I have a real nasty habit of stopping in the middle of something, which drives my family (myself included) nuts.

Author notes at the bottom, clearing almost every question up.

Disclaimers: I wish I could but I can't. All of the RK books belong to Watsuki-sensei, the anime stuff to Sony. T\T

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 1: Beginning Links Los Angeles, California, USA  December 2002 

"We're live in SkyFox, camera's rolling and going over the 110 Freeway and covering what definitely appears to be a car pursuit. Right we're now passing Highland Park and still heading southbound.

"We've got, five, seven, nearly more than a dozen black and whites chasing this nutcase going through three narrow lanes. I think we've been covering this chase for already forty minutes but the actual pursuit has been going for almost an hour and fifteen. Reason why this started was that the present driver had shot and stabbed several civilians at point-blank range, then fled into this Camry. We're assuming that a hostage situation is most likely since the vehicle was moving upon the hijacking and it had temporary stopped for several minutes. 

"The driver is said to be a tall, Asian but Caucasian-looking male, with hair that some witness claimed to have been bleached beyond recognition. Police advise those on the streets to clear way and stay inside as the suspect is considered to be armed to the teeth and extremely dangerous."

Down on the ground, the white 2001 Camry weaved dangerously in and out of traffic, the driver laughing maniacally. Next to him sat a bound and gagged young woman, obviously a college student, evident by the pile of enormous and heavy books sitting next to a large duffel bag. Fury and fear mixed in her sapphire eyes as he continued to play chicken on the first freeway of southern California. Even though she occasionally drove on the 110 going both ways, she'd never go past 60 mph in that area unless it was a life and death situation or her name isn't Karen Kamaryn.

"What's the matter, little lady? Not enjoying this so far?"

If looks could bend shotguns, then this guy would've have at least over fifty broken bones, as the human bone is stronger than metal.

A toothy grin, square white teeth against pale skin and ash-gray hair (with one stray bang hanging on his right). His green eyes (and one nasty shade, by her opinion) glittered dangerously, as well insanely.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't be doing anything to you, yet. Besides, it isn't you who I'm after. It's someone else...... Oh yes...... He'll be here......"

The kendo instructor couldn't help but give a shudder when he licked his lips. '_This guy's totally crazy! If he doesn't slow down soon, we're both gonna be killed!!_' 

"By the way, I know what you're thinking about. If I don't slow down soon, the two of us are going to be nothing more than pink and red tissues on the asphalt. Where's the fun if the risk of dying is low?"

If possible his grin went wider, the foot pressing on the gas pedal more. Steadily, the needle began to climb higher on the speedometer. 60.... 70.... 80.... 90.... 95....

'_SOMEONE PLEASE SHOOT THIS MANIAC!!!!!_'

Thus, Karen went back to getting the gag out of her mouth and trying to ditch the rope.

Behind them, black and white police cars, blaring their sirens and flashing those loveable red-and-blue lights, were lead by a very infamous (or famous) officer with quite the reputation.

First Captain Kevin Hakan Bartolome "Battai" Hilmringer of the LAPD was someone you definitely don't want to cross paths with. One of the youngest captains in the task force, and a plainclothes officer at that, his mind was a calculating one. Capable of figuring out the distance between two objects within mere seconds. The ability to shoot directly on target at seven to eleven hundred yards, a distance most veterans have problems with. On hand-to-hand combat, predicts his opponent's next move and taking them out in the most efficient way. On the occasion, he would be in the sharpshooter brigade when emergencies arose.

Despite all those amazing traits, his attitude and efficiency is what kept others from really trying to be pals with him. Allies is what Kevin considered only in the police force, save those who were the closest.

However, it wasn't just his slight cold attitude and indifference that kept him apart on the field. He also carried an aura that pretty much said if anyone was to completely piss Kevin off, make sure you had renewed your health insurance. There were several times when this officer became completely cold, face and voice lacking any emotion, making him barely readable.

"Captain, we've confirmed the driver, as well as the passenger," one of the dispatchers said, voice crackling through the radio.

"10-4, dispatch. Who's our maniac?"

"A favorite of yours, Jean Udian."

A feral snarl. "The passenger?"

The sound of keyboards clacking away. "Not much right now, though a guy who's supposed to be the older brother says that she's gonna graduate from UCLA in about six months, according to one of our boys at the scene. She was about to pick him up for lunch when the hijacking occurred."

An extremely frustrated sigh. "Copy that and stand by. Alright, boys, let's roll! It's Udian and we're most likely to get a hostage situation on our hands. I want all of you morons to be cautious with your movements. The nut's expecting me and NO heroics. If I find out the idiot then he or she is gonna be stuck on paperwork for weeks. Got it?"

"10-4," came the chorus, a few shakily.

With a stronger determination, Kevin shifted his powerful red Firebird up to the highest gear and slammed onto the gas. He hated when he was chasing someone he had put behind bars. They always came back, doing something stupid that got them sentences worse than their previous ones.

Behind the captain in the passenger seats, Sax wuffled softly, sensing his master's agitation. The four-year old dark-gray/black German Shepard was Kevin's backup partner only for emergencies when negotiation couldn't diffuse a tense situation. This dog was silent, always obeying his owner's command and taking down the bad guys hard, like a dragon striking its prey from the heavens. When surrounded by children though, he would let them climb all over him happily. It was as if the Shepard knew that they were worth protecting with his and his master's life.

If Kevin was going to take down Jean without harming the hostage, then he was going have to pull out the big guns and, much as he hated it, some better help.

Following that thought, calloused hands flipped through the channels through the radio waves.

*    *    *    * 

"Yo, Ken!" 

Kenneth Rufus Banji "Softwin" Hilmringer looked up from his flat screen monitor, blinking large eyes. Also a redhead from their paternal side, he was Kevin's younger twin brother by exactly four minutes. Of course, despite being born at the same date and raised in the same environment, you'll always have differences.

Ken was more soft-spoken, carrying a soothing air that was pretty much the complete opposite of his older brother's aura, hence his nickname (but for the life of this officer, the more cheerful twin still can't figure out the reason behind Kev's nickname). Identical carmine-shade, waist length of hair though Kevin's was up in a high-ponytail, whereas the younger twin tied his at the nape of his neck. Narrowed, hard gold eyes of their father for the more active sibling while innocent, soft violet ones of their mother on Ken.

Given his calming and peaceful nature, it was obvious that the younger twin took up in negotiating. And he happened to be quite successful, ten times out of ten. Ken also had a K-9 partner, a two-year old white/light-gray Retriever named Salem who happened to be quite playful at times. Except during serious cases, this full-grown puppy would rather be jumping onto people hard.

"Oro?"

A fellow officer waved the walkie-talkie. "Your bro called. Catch him on his cell."

Giving a sigh, Ken slipped an ear set on and punched Kevin's mobile on speed-dial. "What is it this time?"

"Udian and we're gonna have a hostage situation on our hands," came the flat voice of his older twin over the whining of the sirens. "You remember how he's like."

A groan as the younger sibling shrugged into his jacket, making sure his bulletproof vest was on. "How could I NOT forget? The last time he nearly killed Toan, we both got double-duty on paper work from Halmje."

Kevin snorted, immediately shifting down in order to make a hard right and ignoring the slight yip from Sax. "Sagi is gonna have a headache this time." A crackle through the radio, silencing him for several moments. "Aw, crap. Is Sagi coming along this pursuit?"

Ken looked up from starting his four-door white Toyota pickup, ignoring the happy barks from Salem. "Oh shit."

LAPD chief Halmje Sagi was marching toward his cruiser in a very crisp and strained manner, brows furrowed that made him look much like a P.O.ed wolf. Cops outside in the parking lot immediately scrambled to be out of his way, like the Red Sea parting for Moses but with more fear. With a slam that pretty much startled half the officers back in the department, the chief literally peeled out of the parking lot with burning rubber and shot off.

"Kenny?"

"He's severely pissed and I told you don't call me that! We're not kids anymore!!"

A snicker drifted through the cell phone waves.

*    *    *    *

"We're still live over this pursuit that's been going on for more than an hour-and-half already. Now heading toward San Pedro. Thank goodness that the 110 is straightened out on this part of the freeway system. Getting off onto the PCH and now on surface streets. So far, there's no sign of the chase coming to an easy stop, evident by the erratic driving behavior. This definitely going to end in a standoff, most likely a shoot-out is going to occur. This guy is driving as if--

"Oh God, side-swiped a car and the vehicle has flipped over! 11-41 for the civilians! 11-41! Jesus Christ, more people are gonna get into more trouble because of the lunatic! I've lost count how many red lights and stop signs he sped by, even bypassing one of the Metro buses with barely six inches to spare! Again and again, civilians are trying to get out of his way without crashing into each other themselves OR the police. CHP, Long Beach and San Pedro PD joining in now with LAPD.

"JEZE LOUISE!! Officer down! Officer down! The moron actually crashed into a motorcycle cop! This adds onto his list of failure to yield, counts of assault with a deadly weapon, taking a hostage, and who knows what! Several of the pursuing officers are assisting the fallen one and ambulances are arriving on scene for the civilians."

A sudden crackle through the chopper's radio temporarily silenced the airborne reporter, green-blue eyes scrunching up to make out the conversation.

"We just heard that they're asking if anyone has spikes. I doubt that's gonna help this chase since we're still in lunch hour. Yep, got a negative from the commanding officer but I think they're gonna try something else. As I was saying earlier, this maniac is driving as if he was a freshly escaped convict."

"Randy!"

Miranda "Randy" MacKenzie paused on her commentary, looking over to the pilot, Sherman, her braid swinging. "What is it?!"

"We're heading over toward the Harbor and just got a call that we need air clearance! Coast Guard AND Harbor Patrol!"

"How long can we get back onto the chase?!"

"Tops, fifteen minutes!"

"Get that clearance on the double! Why aren't there any police copters out here?!"

"Most of them got trashed from last week's storm! A few are still grounded due to mechanical problems! We're still in El Nino season and be glad that rain's predicted for tomorrow, not today!"

"Damn! Any other choppers?!"

"KCAL, KTLA, NBC, and CBS but they also need clearance!"

A string of curses that erupted from the petite reporter caused both pilot and large cameraman to blush. Thankfully, their conversation during the broadcast was muted by the thoughtful Kurt, manning the heavy camera. Also luckily, those at home thought the crewmembers were talking on the radio when the silence came from their TVs.

Finally, all the helicopters broadcasting the chase got clearance and flew over the Port, SkyFox the first to recover.

"Alright, folks. We're back live after that brief interruption. Sorry but due to regulations we needed to get air traffic clearance ever since 9-11. Can't blame 'em. Right now, we're directly over hundreds of cargo crates and they're still continuing the chase. If the suspect right now ditches the car the police are gonna be stuck here for quite awhile since this place is almost like a maze. On your upper-left screen corner you can see that workers are immediately evacuating this area of the port, which is good thinking on their side. Never a good idea to be--

"Hold on, we got something." A quick pause. "Just confirmed that they're going to try the PIT maneuver to take the suspect out. If they could just get into some wider space then there's a strong chance that this chase will be over but the police will have to deal with a hostage situation."

And PIT Kevin did. As Udian moved the Camry away from the crates and toward the docks, the red-haired police fired his engines and nudged his Firebird just behind the Camry's back left wheel. That sent the college student's car into a full 360 (and her screaming, since she finally got the gag off) before bumping to a stop next to another cargo container. Not to mention completely killing the engine and trashing the paint job Karen had did, by herself, several weeks back.

Screeching to a total halt, Kevin trained his gun onto the car, keeping one strong grip on Sax's leather collar, while making sure they both had their bulletproof vests on. The dog was growling angrily softly in his throat, smelling Udian's scent and with good reason. Sax was originally owned by the maniac when the canine was just a puppy and let's just say no happy memories for this cop dog with Jean. The red-haired sniper had saved the tiny thing after it was abandoned right in the middle of the southbound 405 during rush hour in a rare major thunderstorm.

"Easy, boy, easy. I know you want him as badly as I do but we have to follow protocol first," Kevin soothingly whispered. Reluctantly, Sax muted his growls to low rumbles but stayed in a crouching position, ready to spring forward at the man's command.

"UDIAN! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!! GET OUT!!" a fellow officer shouted through the speaker system. Every single gun in that area clicked, loading the first bullet.

Ordering the Shepard to stay down, the red-haired captain reached for his radio. "Come on out, Udian. If you want a fight to finish, do it out here and let's get it over with!"

Inside the car, shoving the airbag away, Mr. Smiley chuckled a bit, sending chills down Karen's spine. The bit of blood on his forehead, where it crashed upon the car's impact in the corner of to cargo crates, got licked off with his fingers. Thankfully, the student had enough sense to put on a seatbelt so she got away with a bruised chest. 

"He's heee~eere. I told you he'd be here. Haven't had this much fun since four years ago. Oh, the fun. I can't wait."

'_Moron, asshole, jerk, idiot!_' She wiggled the bounds a bit, loosening them but still not much. Curiosity finally got the better. "What's with you and this guy? That you would even risk other people's lives to meet?!"

Taking out a lit cigarette out of nowhere, he took a very long drag. "You really want to know, little lady, huh?"

A glare that promised pain and maybe death.

Several centimeters of the stick burned off, teeth gleaming with the yellowish tinge of a heavy smoker. "He and I used to have fun back in the police academy. You would call it rivalry but it was the battle of the strongest there. Whenever we had competitions or tests, the two of us were always on the opposite sides. Of course, he always won, thus earning him the title 'the strongest'. Now, I want to know how strong he is after I had been gone from five years. Not to mention, the moron was weak, always protecting his little family and that dear brother of his. You won't be able to understand but you'll see what I mean by him being 'the strongest'."

"And you assaulted several people on the streets in broad daylight, hijacked my car and now keeping me hostage just to meet this cop?! You outta be stuck in prison!!!" Karen screeched. 

A sudden stare from his eyes, silencing the young student. Immediately, she tried to gasp for air but couldn't. Bright sapphire orbs widened upon realizing the predicament she just got into. 

"A little something I picked up while spending time on my own. You only have just five minutes, ten if you're really good. Just to keep you from interfering. If I remember correctly, the idiot must have called for his little brother. Now, if you'll don't mind me, I'll have to borrow you and your car."

With a final chuckle, Udian leaned back to pick up his bag.

*    *    *    * 

"What took you, Kenny?" 

"Traffic due to the few crashes and shut up, Kevvie. How's it going?" 

"Not good. He's still inside and he has a girl as a hostage." 

Ken looked at his older brother from the other side of the Firebird. Salem sat quietly next to his trainer, also ready to pounce but silent. The same officer was still shouting through the speaker, voice now a bit hoarse. 

"Don't tell me you completely forgot the training Shishou taught us." 

"I didn't. I'm just surprised at how she hasn't broken down yet." 

Kevin's radio crackled. "Would both of you shut up and get this over with?" came the snappish voice of their chief.

The older twin snorted, still keeping a good aim at the car. "Well, excuse me but I'm not the negotiator here."

"Then get to it Sergeant Softwin!"

Sighing in defeat, Ken stood up a bit, his brother covering him.

"Udian! Just come out from there so that we can get this over with! I know what you want! We all know what you want!"

Every officer in the surrounding area tensed, sweat beading on his or her foreheads. Snipers took aim, ready to fire upon the right moment and at the right spot. Pilots and crew in the choppers held their breaths in the growing tension. Adrenaline course through their veins except something different ran through the twins'. More like a different type of fury.

Silence.

Salem wuffled a bit but Ken held a finger, telling the dog to stay. Ears on Sax flattened out, teeth

already bearing as his anger mounted. Kev immediately pressed his hand onto the four-year old's fur, emanating control and order to his K-9 partner.

Finally, Udian came out partially grinning as always but holding a still bound Karen with a gun to her head. Both twins recognized what he had done.

"Udian, why did you do that to her?!" Kevin hissed through his teeth, rage pounding in his bloodstream. Hands tightened around his police issued .45 pistol, now trained at Jean's head. Even though both brothers always try to avoid killing the suspects, the older one seemed to have the tendency to go into a mode that got nicknamed 'assassin' or 'hitokiri', courtesy from several fellow Japanese officers. He rarely exploded but this situation was wearing down his nerves tad fast.

"What? Oh, just to keep her from bothering us. I hate inconveniences and it wouldn't be as terrific!" The gun left her head, twirling it around one bony figure but always still too close. 

Ken frowned, HIS gun geared more at the spinning weapon. "But why that tactic?"

A sense of recognition flitted through the negotiator's mind, almost like this event had happened a long time ago. Side-glancing at his older sibling, Ken noticed the same look on Kevin's face.

"Hm? Taping is easy to get rid of and you can't use peace-bonds on a person's mouth," Udian replied, still smiling. "Now, how about it, Battai? Up to my offer to finish things?"

Karen barely flinched when she felt the rising aura coming from the plains-clothe cop, despite her predicament. It was so overwhelming! Not too many of her male relatives could match up to this guy, save three peculiar family members. It was as if he wanted to slice off her captor's head and then slice the man into bits. Though raised in a family where death was highly possible, Karen still hated to see blood shed.

Quickly running through his options, Kevin finally decided that the unorthodox way was the only way out.

"Ken...."

A frown crossed the younger man's face. "You're actually going to use it."

"Been awhile."

"But we only did it on straw dummies, not real people!" 

"Doesn't matter in this situation. He's a dummy anyway."

"Kevin! You're not serious! Halmje's gonna have your ass!"

Placing his gun back into his holster, Kevin shuffled over to the back seats and lifted the cushions, revealing a compartment. Flipping a latch, the older sibling revealed a lacquered case and opened it. 

Inside laid a gleaming sheathed katana, light bouncing off the polished saya. The tsukaito looked a bit scruffy, as if it was used quite often but it still held in place. Though near smooth, the tsuka still shone with good care. Albeit ruffled with a few fraying strands the sageo stayed wrapped around the saya tightly and securely, it's purple shade loosing a bit coloring from age. 

As the young captain reached out a hand to grasp the sheathed katana, it instead flew up to his hands and he instinctively closed his fingers around it. Startled temporary, Kevin looked at the katana with wide gold eyes but shook it off. There was a hostage to be saved and a maniac to be put back behind bars, hopefully with a life-sentence without chance of parole. He swiftly considered on whether to leave his gun behind but decided to keep it on him, just in case.

Stepping back out into the open with his prized weapon (in his left hand), the captain stopped several feet away from Udian. Kendo training driving over her shocked mind, Karen recognized the maai of the captain's: far enough to avoid taking any damage but close enough to take either defense or offense if Jean made the first move. 

"Captain Hilmringer, what the hell are you doing?!" Sagi hissed, the Colt .45 aimed directly at Jean's head. The chief had already moved up to where the Firebird is, using the other cars as cover. 

"If the river is not going where it wants to, then it will find another way to reach the ocean, be it violently or gently," came the soft but cold reply.

Blinking amber eyes once, the police chief only re-holstered his issued firearm, flipped out a cigarette and took a long drag. "Do what you must."

"Chief!"

"As much as I hate to admit it, your brother has a strong point, Sergeant. We both know that Udian isn't the type of moron who would do things the normal way. If there was such a way as 'normal' with him around."

Giving a defeated sigh, Ken took hold of Sax's collar in case the 4-year old canine bolted. Both dogs were smart, much smarter than the other police dogs but for some reason the German Shepard tended to act more on instinct instead of reason.

Smiling wider, Udian tossed away his gun and reaching into his duffel bag, pulled out a pair of daisho. Why would a nutcase use a pair of old Japanese swords to finish personal business was pretty much beyond the other officers' comprehension but for the twins, Karen (who got a faint idea), and Halmje it made absolute sense. Jean always had a passionate sense for swordplay, especially dealing with kenjutsu..... If 'passionate' is the right word for a man who had kept bugging the former chief like an insistent fly with words that had caused two officers to faint and the others to immediately be wary of him.

Sticking his daisho through his belt, Udian unsheathed the katana, holding it horizontal.

'The Ichi position of the Nikaidou Heibou.....' Kevin's eyes further narrowed, also drawing out his katana but flipping it over. Though holding a license that allowed him to carry such a weapon around, he was forbidden to use the sharp side until as an extremely last resort.

//--_flashes of sparks against striking blades under moonlight from a full moon_--//

=======================================================

A young rookie, sitting inside his cubicle, shot his head up at that moment.

"A memory of before....... akai ryuu is starting to wake..... finding his ao tori. Korosu tai mamoru."

One hand touched his head, as if trying to make sense of the images running through his mind.

"Kin no me soshite murasaki no me..... seeing something from a long, long time ago. Gray haired loosing more than just strands...."

Grass colored spheres looked out the window, as if trying to see someplace else far away.

=======================================================

Both twins' eyes widened against the images. 'What the--'

"CAPTAIN!" one lackey yelled.

Udian was already charging and Kevin immediately blocked it, loosing only a few hair strands. Quickly, the younger man shot forward, thrusting so fast that it looked like all of his strikes were done at once but more like a rain of blows. Unfortunately, the crazier swordsman blocked all of them.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Ryuu Sou Sen," Ken muttered softly, his Japanese flowing as if he was raised in Japan. "Not surprised that he's able to block them all."

Sagi raised an eyebrow as the other officers watched in rapt fascination. Briefly, the curling smoke from the lighted tip shaped into something but dissipated as soon as it took form.

Again, Jean focuses his eyes on Kevin as they circled each other.

"That doesn't work on me, Udian!" the red-haired captain yelled, breaking it off easily.

A fast thrust, Ken recognizing the move.

'One-handed level strike....'

Kevin dodges at the last moment, earning gasps from some of the officers in the background.

'Side stroke from the ichi form.'

A duck, again nicking several strands off.

'I keep this up and I'm gonna loose more hair than Pop can out drink Shishou! Jyu-form overhead downward strike...'

This time, instead of avoiding the blade, the young captain catches the strike with the butt of his tsuka and whipped it around, causing Udian to fall back a step and loosing his stance. Diving in, Kevin held his katana with both hands, ready to drive the final blow but gets caught by surprise. Though retaining his blade and off balanced, Udian, still grinning, switches from his right to his left from behind, cutting Kevin's left shoulder unexpectedly. Blood immediately splashed out onto the still damp pavement as the red-haired officer fell down, a grimace on his face.

"Kevin!" A flash of pain lanced through Ken's left shoulder the same time his brother got cut, ignoring the yells coming from the other cops. Barely wincing, the younger officer looked at the spot, almost expecting the crimson liquid to come out. Nothing but the memory of a remaining sting. Again, a sense of déjà vu crept through his mind at what just happened but still not able to place it.

Growls brought Ken back to reality. Looking down, he realized that Sax was ready to bolt, along with his own canine. "Sax, down! Not yet! You too, Salem! DOWN! Get the paramedics!"

Reluctantly, both dogs hunched back to the asphalt, teeth bared angrily. They didn't understand why they weren't allowed to help but they knew that disobeying orders wasn't a good thing. Sax might not be Ken's partner but this K-9 had learned to trust his owner's brother as he trusted Salem. Although the younger Retriever was a big puppy at heart, he was still a trained police dog, thus his want of taking Udian down.

Still struggling to breathe, Karen couldn't help but stare at what just happened. It was as if she KNEW that was going to happen.

//--_katana from the left slicing a magenta gi, a female cry of worry, blood seeping into the grass_--//

"Heh heh.... You read all my moves up until that last back-pass. You're still far from being Battai back during those days. What fun would it be if I could finish you in the time it takes to finish three cigarettes? Boring! Come now, what ever happened to that spirit? The little lady has only two minutes left to live. Either she breaks it out herself, which I highly doubt it'll happen or you'll have to kill me."

Silent, Kevin got into a crouch, his grip tightening on his katana. "Bastard...." came out as a feral snarl. "Talk it through your sword." 'Fraggit all to hell! This happened to be my favorite leather jacket! Toni's gonna be pissed when I get home....'

Ken flinched at his twin's ken-ki, rising again upon saying those words. Seemingly cold on the outside, the older sibling hated it when innocent civilians' live were injured, held hostage, or just plain in their hands. It was like always walking between that paper-thin line of life or death.

"Moron....." Sagi muttered, taking another drag.

Still crouching, his head held down, Kevin seemed to have suddenly disappeared....

....only to reappear and having the blunt side of his katana smashing into Udian's face, crushing the nose. Neither Ken nor Sagi ever so much blinked an eyelid, save those who gave yells and/or gasps of surprise.

"Heh heh heh... HAHAHA!!!! I couldn't even see your movements! This is the Battai I knew so well back in those days!" Using his thumb, Udian pushed the messed up appendage straight again with a loud crack (not to mention causing the younger rookies to flinch).

Standing up, Kevin glared glittering yellow orbs at his present source of frustration and headaches. "Shut the hell up and let's get this over with, BC. I'm not going to have a civilian die at my hands nor yours."

"'BC?'" Sagi raised an eyebrow.

"He used to always wear a cap that was black, thus earning him the nickname Black Cap during our academy days. We called him BC for short back then," the younger officer replied quietly. "Unfortunately, he might as well be the guy to pay for all of the cadets' hospital bills at the time as well."

"Why am I not surprised that the Headmaster didn't tell me when I took over?"

"You could say that she didn't want things out of her control. Not to mention, Udian was reasonably a top student." Ken shrugged helplessly, hands still around the leather collars.

The familiar sound of a blade going over a wet stone immediately snatched at Ken's ear. Whipping his head (and hair swiping past Sagi's face) around, he saw that Ken had did noto and was already in a battou-jutsu stance. Years of drilling from their master also got him to recognize which move his twin was going to use.

At that point, Udian was starting to feel giddy. Despite beating up all those punks in the darker parts of LA, he never got quite the rush he was feeling now. It was also accompanied by a sense of something he didn't like and brushed it off.

'Battou-jutsu..... Like iai-jutsu; drawing one's sword at a speed increased thrice, cutting down the opponent, chiburi and noto all in one movement. Battai's fastest technique! If I can just dodge that strike once he flips his katana over, he'll be open! Double-edged sword technique...... I CAN MAKE IT!!' 

"Take this, Captain Hilmringer!!!"

Immediately, a charge but Kevin stayed where he was, waiting. 'Right foot facing opponent, left foot behind to avoid cutting self when drawing, figure out the maai before striking.... I might as well surprise this moron.'

'He might be the fastest but he forgot about the timing it takes to flip a katana around! That's your handicap, Battai!'

When Udian reached the line where life and death stood, Kevin snapped out his sword and flipped it, missing the gray-haired nut by just a few millimeters. Reason would be that the older man had pulled back upon reaching the captain's range.

'Fast! Victory is mine!' Jean swung his katana down. "I'VE WO--"

--which got replaced by the sound of breaking bones.

'Nidan battou-jutsu?! Katana and saya......' he thought, falling down onto the pavement. His elbow was at an angle it shouldn't normally be and as soon the sharp pain dissipated, it was replaced with throbbing that pound his senses.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu battou-jutsu, Sou Ryuu Sen," Kevin said, voice clear and cold. "I'm aware that I'm forbidden to use the sharp side of my katana and the fact that battou-jutsu is a one-strike technique. I also know that the timing it takes for me to flip my sword is also crucial and to pull it out reversed would be a bit difficult. The origin of my nickname Battai is short for Battousai; I was the one who learned and mastered all of the battou-jutsu techniques. Your elbow is shattered and tendons severed. The career which you chose is over and so ends your life on the streets."

Still high on adrenaline, Jean whipped out a black .45 and aimed it at Karen with his left hand.

"Let's see if you can save the girl's life, Battai!"

A spark sent the tiny piece of metal erupting.

Everything went into slow motion, each second almost in sync with each beat of a slow heart.

Kevin tried to turn but the pain in his shoulder finally clouded his sense of balance, add in the mixture of slick water and oil prevented him from moving far or fast.

Leaning against her car door, Karen struggled to move yet being still paralyzed made that difficult.

Halmje turned his head toward Udian but saw that the ex-cop had the gun to his own head, still grinning.

In a forest far, far away, birds immediately took flight at that moment, causing one figure to pick up his head. Watching the avians, he knew things were being set into motion.

Amber eyes, that had never showed any emotion, actually widened for once.

A second shot fired.

Golden pupils nearly shrunk half their size.

Crimson took flight like liquid pebbles.

Sapphire orbs shot wider than before.

Time almost stopped.

Green spheres suddenly glazed over a bit, also widening. "Korosu..... arimasen. Tasukete to mamoru..... iki masu."

Then... temporary silence.

"I-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Long winded Author notes:

Yatta!! Finally completed this! Never thought I'd ever finish this thing. Welp, on to clearing things up.

Kevin and Kenneth should be easy to guess. They're both Kenshin but split into Battousai and Rurouni. Well, Rurouni isn't as dense or as slow; a little more "normal". The concept of them being twins was courtesy of Rina K. Fenderson's "Lost Souls" on her site. Idea is similar but our writing is different, as one of her twins is a girl. It ain't plagiarism. I cleared up ya months earlier, Rina-san so if you find this, please don't kill me.

Karen, of course, if our favorite shihandai. She's more of a senpai rather than a real assistant instructor. There are actual dojos here in LA. One teaches aikido near where I live and inside is totally neat. Much better than Western gyms, IMHO (my Eastern heritage rearing it's head, once again). I had to change the ages between her and our redheads for a fairly good reason that most of us already know. Not to mention, much more convenient for my side. On the part of Karen having three male relatives, some of you might be partially surprised, others shocked, or the rest ready to throw sharp objects at me.

The rookie cop with green eyes happens to be my own character so no taking without permission. As for him in the RK world of the Meiji Era, still working out the kinks. For now, he's stuck here. I'll reveal in a profile.

Halmje Sagi is the oh-so-lovely Mibu no ookami, Saitou Hajime. You all noticed that I used the first two letters of their names to use here. I can't quite imagine using their original names in present-day LA. Bad enough on confusing which name is the first or last name now. Toan is (ta-da!) Takagi Tokio, Saitou's wife. Dunno if she's gonna show up. You should notice that neither redheads are surprised that Sagi's married. That's on purpose. The other main characters WILL be surprised, like Misao. ^\~

Toni is a character that has caused some mayhem for the KxK lovers. Yup, Yukishiro Tomoe. I'm considering whether to kill her or not. Votes, anyone? Enishi's gonna show up as well. For Kiyosato Akira.... almost got it figured out.

Shishou wa shishou! Here, Hiko's a relative of Kevin and Ken but the twins call him "shishou" out of habit.

The chase scene is from watching too many "World's Wildest Police Videos" and the likes of that show. What happened here is more or less accurate in what I've seen and yes, Southern California is known as the "capital of all car chase in the world". Probably thanks to the extensive freeway system we have down here since if it's not on one day of the month, it's another. Be it robbery, carjacking, hostage situation, or assault during any time.

El Nino is a mass of warm water in the South Pacific, warmer than usual, occurring around October-November and ending in around March. That results in major raining along the length of the West coast on both Americas. Pain in the butt for drivers. Heavy rain + oil residue + dust = high potential for big problems. Driving during the beginning season is dangerous, courtesy of hydroplaning and the same goes for AFTER a shower.

The fight between Jean Udian (Udo Jin-e) and Kevin is pretty much ripped off from the manga/anime. I had to head over to maigo-chan's site for catching the words and actions, since watching it is a bit tricky. Using a katana in a time like now is pretty much out of the ordinary but when has the RK world been ordinary? As Kenshin uses a sakabatou to fight Jin-e, Kevin had to flip his katana. Speech is more or less the same, just changed to fit the present timeline.

Our reporter in the sky is Misao, pilot Shiro and cameraman Kuro. The older recorders are freakin' heavy but I can't imagine the ones used for news stations. Why Randy? Short for Miranda! Using Randy as Misao's name symbolizes her tomboy ness. Yes, Aoshi-sama will show up. On the code 11-41, it's police-ese for "ambulance needed". Reporters and pilots in helicopters usually know the basic police codes as they aid in chasing the bad guys.

PIT is short for Precision Immobilization Technique. Used by police cars to do what I mentioned in the chase scene: nudge or slam onto the side of a car at the right moment and spot, you kill the engine and more easier to get the bad guys. There are other variations of the name but the meaning is pretty much the same.

Sax and Salem are also on symbolization. Sax means "he who bears arms, the swordsman" in Old English; other words, satsujin-ken. Salem is a form of Salim, Swahili for "peace"; sakabatou. Kevin means "handsome, gentle or lovable" in Irish. "Handsome", yes but "gentle" and "loveable"? Maybe. Kenneth is Gaelic for "handsome". Karen is a form of Catherine, "pure or purity" in Greek. Fits Kaoru, ne? "Admirable" in Latin for Miranda.

Practically, almost all the names mentioned here will have some meaning that attributes to the RK characters. I don't know why I even do the research......

KCAL, KTLA, NBC, and CBS are news station. KCAL and KTLA is local Southern California, whereas NBC and CBS are nation-wide. SkyFox is the helicopter, property of KTTV, also known as Fox, another nation wide news station. Mentioning of 9-11 is tribute to that incident. Almost a year yet it seems like yesterday.

For the terms on describing the katana, here's a link: http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/glossary.htm. Extremely useful. Chiburi is the flicking of the sword, to rid it of blood and body tissues. Noto is sheathing of the katana, along the blunt side so that the sharp side doesn't touch the metal jacket inside the saya.


	3. Police Profile II

Profile Stats II  
  
  
This part will be revised fairly often. Something like a job description for the various characters that shows up. It's more of a guide for those confused and it'll be inbetween chapters once in awhile, I suppose. When I get around to it, I'll compile all the profiles into one big chapter so it'll be easier access and easier reading.  
  
I'll have to admit, some of 'em might not be exactly in character but they'll be close to the originals. Do expect some OOC, as this IS AU.  
  
Disclaimers: Those of the RK cast, belongs to Watsuki-sensei. Kazeki is mine.  
  
===============================  
  
  
Name: Saagra, Samson Hindsaig  
  
AKA: Zanreb  
  
Age: 23  
  
DOB: 02/21/79  
  
Height: 5' 11"  
  
Ethnicity: Japanese/Hebrew/Latin (as in Europe)  
  
Rank: Special Agent, Defensive Tactic Instructor, Hand-to-hand Coach  
  
Called crazy but with a good heart, Sam was one to always bend the rules. If faced with accusations from the higher-ups, he always found loopholes for his advantage. Despite being considered dumb or idiotic, this tall agent often spends his time reading the rules, regulations and whatnots during his spare time. IF he isn't found at the local bar, drinking away and gambling nearly a quarter of his paycheck. First sight of this febbi is often slight apprehension, due to his height but once you get to know Sam, he's not so much of a bad person. Older step-brother to Karen, his adopted father marrying her mother since his mother had died when he was young (biological father was divorced but occasionaly kept in touch). Because of Karen's mother's influence, the tall man had grown a soft spot for the young lady.  
  
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~  
  
Name: Kamaryn, Soren Senat  
  
AKA: Racer  
  
Age: 21  
  
DOB: 09/16/81  
  
Height: 5' 6"  
  
Ethnicity: American/Japanese/Western Europe  
  
Rank: Crime Scene Investigator  
  
A smile that could send girls screaming as if Elvis arrived there himself, Soren, despite his name's meaning, is actually quite peaceful. Taking his father's middle name, this young officer from the San Francisco PD idolized his paternal side of the family but loved and respected his female relatives, especially Karen. Growing up with two older brothers, Soren followed them almost everywhere but whenever it came to his baby sister, Karen was always top priority over anything. Same with Samson, the second-oldest and the eldest, currently with the UN Peacekeeper group. Of course, having two older brothers and one young sister is enough to have some buddies comment about him having a "sister complex". One tale had that when the three of them were still in high school, he and Sam had actually beaten up a guy who made fun of Karen for being such a tomboy. The student needed weeks to recover, not to mention therapy. Surprsingly, neither brothers got into much trouble, save community service of painting half the school.  
  
===============================  
  
AN: Surprised that Sam (Sano) and Soren (Soujirou) are related to Karen? ^\^ Himura Kaoru's "Love & War" has Kaoru and Soujirou as cousins, her uncle his father. For Sano as the older brother, he does somewhat treat her as a younger sister most of the time.  
  
Sam's adopted father is, of course, Sagara Souzo. Sano's biological father in the manga raised his younger sister Uki (16) and little bro Outa (6) after his mother died some time after Outa's birth.  
  
"Hindsaig" happens to be fooling around with Sano's original surname, Higashidani. Pluck a few letters out and then placed it so it'll be at least readable. Saagra is the same as Sagara, but again, I mixed the letters.  
  
Samson as after the guy in Hebrew stories, where he had tremondous strength so as long he didn't cut his hair. In Hebrew, "being as bright as the light of the sun". *sweatdrops* And we call him Tori-atama?  
  
The name "Zanreb" is a play of "Zanza" and "Zareb". "Zareb" means "guardian" in African (don't ask), and Sano's like a guardian to Megumi and the two girls (Ayame & Suzume) in the anime. I thought it'd be kinda fun to play with his alter persona. "Racer" is due to Soujirou on being able to do Shukuchi. I'd've given him "Speedy" but Zeke already has that so I had to find a similar one. Pulled it off from "Speed Racer" and, well, you get the picture.  
  
Soren is "God of War" in Nordic. Quite odd, isn't it? Since Soujirou here is Kaoru's biological older brother, part of their roots are gonna be in around Finland or Denmark. Pretty much, almost all the characters here will have at least part of Japanese as their background. 


	4. Hospital Calls Are Very Annoying

Disclaimers: RK is mine, ya hear me?! HA HA HA HA!! (think Ayame from Fruits Basket) *head nearly gets cleaved off by a flying katana* Eh? *looks where it came from* ORO!!! SUMIMASEN!!! SHITSUREI SHIMASHITA!!!! *bows repeatedly, head banging on the floor* As Watsuki-sensei just "asked", RK shall forever be his and Sony's property.

"Shitsurei shimashita" is equivalent to "I did a rude thing", yet it's weaker than "sumimasen" ("I'm very sorry") for some reason.

About the flying katana from Watsuki-sensei, that's how he got the ideas for the moves and techniques in RK; by throwing a sword around in the safety (and privacy) of his room. Wonder how many holes he needed to patch up before relatives came for a visit?

~@~@~@~@~@~@~…..~@~@~@~@~@~@~ is flashback.

Again, long explanation at the bottom. Get used to it.

**Vesca**: my first reviewer, arigatou!

**Koneko-chan**: Technically, the correct way is "Has Battousai eaten yet?", if following the thing with nouns. If I remember right from one of **Miyu Sakura's** reviews, she had griped about Battousai being a proper noun. (**Miyu**-sama, please don't kill me!) That means it's a name, like Shinta or Tsubame.

  
To the rest of you guys (I'm exhausted!): I appreciate the reviews and I'm glad that the lot of you enjoyed this. I have to admit, I was surprised to even receive that many feedback on a first try.

'Njoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2: Hospital Calls Are Very Annoying

_Los Angeles, CA  Same day_

Through the large and spacious halls, pristine to a point where a literal neat freak would be pleased, students in blue short-sleeved shirts and black pants chatted with fellow schoolmates, exchanging stories and gossip. Though this wasn't exactly Quantico, since most cadets headed to the East coast, it suited for those who aren't able to make such an expensive trip or for those not used to the weather on the East Coast to be FBI agents or employees. Most of the students here enjoyed the classes, since plenty of things were often being revealed, from the latest medical advancement on repairing an artery to the newest technology on bomb diffusing.

One class group in particular dreaded their teacher. To a certain degree for many.

"Alrighty, now that roll call's over, plus our morning tai chi, and the lot of you are all here, I have good news and bad news."

Almost all of them broke out into more sweat, despite the cool air surrounding them circulating from the AC. Barely two-and-half months into the semester and the majority of the group had already renewed their health or life insurances. Rumors flowed that more than one-half of the previous class had to spend most of their time in the medical wing. Not to mention stories about the head nurse going insane and nearly killing the assistant director when she came in to check up on the students at one point.

"The good news: we're going into a new lesson today, which is 'What To Do When the Plan Doesn't Go As It Should And the Boss Is Ready to Tear Out His Hair'."

Silence. Then slowly, snorts and snickers became full-blown laughter inside the bright and freshly aired gym.

The huge room looked more like a dojo straight from Japanese movies of the feudal era, with a dash of a Chinese training hall. The original hand-to-hand combat instructor had the place like a regular Western gym but the new one had insisted on something different. One half of the floor were lined tatami mats, raised one step above the wooden floor and wooden posts, a cross between the dojo part and Chinese training hall. Socks only and if you were caught with any shoes on, cleaning duty after the end of class. Along the walls were paintings of past warriors, both Chinese and Japanese; famous battle quotes on bamboo parts, and a bulletin board with the current classes and students. There was only one instructor, oddly enough.

FBI hand-to-hand coach Samson Hindsaig Saagra reasoned that if the students were to clean the place by themselves and put away all the equipment (mainly extremely heavy stuff, one requiring four people to carry it) instead of the janitors, then they would at least learn some discipline. That sounded a lot like a responsible and terrific teacher. However..... his attitude and tactics on teaching was a whole ball game level, if one didn't miss the spark in those mahogany eyes.

Sam raised an eyebrow, causing nearly half the female students to swoon. The guys only looked on with jealousy and fear. The boys in the class might out number him 15 to 1 but the tall teacher could easily beat them all without breaking into a sweat. Rumors had it that he had beaten about two hundred men in one sitting.

"Think it's real funny, eh? Well, unless you guys were actually in the middle of friendly and foe fire, not to mention dodging grenades and flying sparks right next to a liquid nitrogen and gas tank, I would recommend you consider the lesson and head straight over to your next class. Oh, this happened at the industrial area just last week, might I add."

Everyone clamped their mouths shut. They all knew that Sam had at least ten years in the Bureau as a field agent until his recklessness finally landed him on teaching. That option left him as a backup agent and what the tall man just said was true; the drug bust explosion was plastered all over the papers and TVs. Tales of his wild side though, known only as "Zanreb", were a bit exaggerated, like one story of Sam beating up a whole bar of arms dealers and con artists on his first day after graduating. Not to mention earning him that red bandanna he always wore.

"Smart group. Let's get started. Who knows rule number 1 when on the field in tight situations?"

One guy raised his hand.

The instructor nodded.

"Uh.... 'always follow protocol', sir?"

"Eeeeeeehhh. Wrong answer. Rule number one when in a sticky position: Follow your commanding officer."

"Then what about if he or she isn't present?" one Hispanic female asked.

"Try rule number two: drive your opponent nuts."

Looks of confusion and question marks popped up all over. "Huh?"

Sam leaned against a spinning post, used for simulating a person attacking from all sides. "Reverse psychology happens to be one terrific tactic to use if the person you're trying to take down is a little bonkers, either literally or not. True, in this department we're like the police but we also have to take care of the more crazier nuts, as well the extra paperwork.

"You either go one step further with the maniac or you do completely the opposite. Every person has a rhythm when fighting. If you make them confuse, you break that rhythm and that gives you the chance to get 'em while they're down. The best example of breaking the suspect's pattern is arriving at the last second, which is a classic; oldie but a goodie."

"What's rule number three if reverse psychology doesn't work?"

A cocky grin, sending more ladies near swooning.

"Number three: improvise."

More question marks appeared.

"Let's say that the suspect you're trying to take down is screaming his head off, has a butcher knife to his own niece, one of the top ten on our list and you don't have a gun or you lost it. Backup, either your nearby buddies or police, want to do this without firing or won't be arriving for another ten minutes, in which the hostage would be dead by then.

"The only stuff nearby and the junk in your pockets: a metal pole from a nearby construction site, tranqs from the vet for your pet elephant, some rubber bands, and the damn brains God gave you. So what do you do? You got fifteen minutes to give me a damn good answer. The one who gives out the best suggestion using all the items I mentioned won't have to take the next physical exam. You may share ideas with the rest of the class."

Buzzing whisper amongst the sitting students, several ideas crazy enough that would only work in movies, others more down-to-earth.

Sam grinned. "Oh, and it has to be at least within the laws of physics so no insane sci-fi stuff."

The ones just discussing that all face-faulted, their legs twitching like dying roaches. The others gave little snickers.

All of them wanted to avoid the exam, which was extremely strenuous; running up and down fifteen flights of stairs in less than one hour, 70-80 crunches. The mile run in under ten minutes, swimming a mile, shooting accuracy in archery and firearms, hanging by your arms for more five minutes with your chin just above the bar.

And the worst one of all: running the pacer test. That was the last one, usually by the time they were all exhausted. The first time it happened, nearly the entire class failed but thankfully the instructor was nice enough to let them retake the pacer test the next day. Of course, being the guy he was, the teacher had purposely forgotten about the cramps that resulted from swimming, running and crunching a whole 9 hours.

"By the way, the bad news is that we'll be learning on how to improvise for the next two months!"

Groans came about again and Sam grinned the evil one of a teacher who enjoyed giving the students a tough assignment.

Just as the tall brunette got started on chewing a left over fishbone, one of the younger agents there burst into the gym, panting and holding a cordless phone.

"Agent Saagra! Call for you! They said it was an emergency!"

Frowning, Sam walked over and snatched up the communication device. He rarely received calls like these and always hated them. Muttering several affirmatives, his face immediately paled to a shade close to linen.

Handing back the phone, Sam dashed over and snatched his coat. "Class is cancelled today," he sharply said, humor gone. "I want those answers on five full pages, single spaced and ready by the time I come back. If not, triple laps in the pool."

With that order, he ran out the double doors, his trench coat flapping and people staring at him (actually, more at the kanji "aku" stitched onto the coat).

"Sir! Agent Saagra! AGENT!"

Sam ignored the younger one, his mind geared on one thing.

'Damnit, let her be alright! Please....'

*    *    *    *    *

"Yo, Ken. Ya doin' fine?"

A shaky smile, but it changed into a wince when the surrounding nurses dabbed the bullet hole with some disinfectants.

"I'm fine, considering this is about the sixth time I got shot at. How about you?"

Kevin shrugged. Dumb mistake.

"Captain, I suggest you do not move that shoulder for a week or two," the doctor said, not turning her head from scribbling away on a chart when several curses flew. "Unless you want to pull the stitches on that gash of yours. Fourteen stitches... even my niece only needed five for a split lip."

"Feh. You weren't the one that got nearly sliced. I'm going out for a drink. Want something, little bro?"

Ken waved a hand. "No thanks. I'm gonna be stuck with juice after this slug is pulled out. I just hope that she's okay."

"She'll be fine. Catch ya when you get out."

Giving a sigh and watching as his sibling was carted away, stomach down on the bed, Kevin walked off to the lounge, ignoring the other medics. Both twins were often regulars there (and other hospitals around the LA area as well) so they had free access to most of the wings, not to mention the medical files of certain patients. Walking through the pale walls of any hospital often reminded Kevin of the twin's mother.

Kasumi Banji, a wonderful woman who gave everything and expected nothing in return from those she helped, finally passed away from a cancer that was already too late to be treated. In the advanced stages, neither surgery nor chemotherapy were able to help. The only option left was to survive by the life support system, 24/7 surveillance by nurses, and neither father nor sons were too keen on that idea. They didn't had much of a choice after she suffered a mild cardiac arrest some time after a session of chemo.

Before they knew she had cancer, Kasumi was always healthy and loved both twins with all her heart, teaching them everything her parents had taught her. Having been born near the end of World War II and hearing stories from her mother, not to mention being a flower girl during the early seventies, she was a shy girl up till high school.

Meeting her future husband was somewhat ironic and unusual, as Kevin's father had recalled nostalgically several times.

Angus Hilmringer had gotten into a fight (fifteenth time) with another school mate (reason: nasty comment on Kasumi, just barely two decades after WWII) when the bigger bully barreled the gangly Irish immigrant in the chest. Kasumi was just standing behind Angus, chatting with several friends about their homework and whatnot. Realizing that she might get hurt because of him, Kevin's father somehow twisted his body to fall away from her. The taller student found himself staring up at bright violets that were shimmering with near tears. Not to mention wondering why the sky was spinning like the time he had spun himself silly on a stupid dare as a child.

They immediately hitched up after that incident, their slightly opposite personalities and what they lacked in each other making them a "match made in heaven". Some people saw the marriage as bad luck but to others, it was a step toward a better future.

The wedding was held Shinto style, at the insistence of both their mothers; Mrs. Hilmringer thought it would be wonderful to try a new way of marriage while Mrs. Banji finally got her wish of seeing her daughter married the way she did. Neither of their husbands liked the idea much but both came to a compromise on the catering part since they both knew the food problems, given their different backgrounds.

At the Nishi Hongwanji Temple in Downtown, Hilmringer's face was matching his hair color as he and Kasumi approached the priest during the ceremony, causing giggles to erupt from his bride. That was partly due to the fact as most of Kasumi's relatives were gawking at Angus' tall height and crimson hair, more used to the usual 5' 4" rather than a towering 6' 2" (save very few Japanese members that actually reached the six-foot mark).

Three-quarters of Kasumi's family were directly from Japan, while the groom's group (the majority from Ireland and Scotland) eyed their soon-to-be shorter Asian family members with slight confusion. For the kids, they all played together after getting over the different looks, as most children would usually do upon first meeting. 

During the reception at the New Otani Hotel, you could've imagine the faces on the more Western guests, especially the Irish contingent when they saw the seafood being served first. You'd think they were being given hydrogen peroxide with ammonia for lunch. Thankfully, the married couple's fathers had foresaw the situation and the caterers gladly provided dishes suited for the more wild side of the family. Overall, it was one of the craziest receptions the hotel staff had ever seen; sake mixed with ale, not a pretty sight.

The twins' father later became successful as a lawyer consultant to the CIA after graduating from Harvard while Kasumi went into teaching elementary until the twins were born. Growing up, they were all a happy family when Kasumi began getting sicker by the day after Kevin's marriage years later. That sent her to the hospital for a long time and when the diagnose came as cancer, the three redheads were nearly devastated but she refused to have them in depression.

Kasumi never got the chance to watch her first grandson grow up, having slipped into a deep coma for many agonizing months after the usual treatments failed. The only comfort to the captain was that when his squirming newborn son was placed into her comatose arms, a soft smile had appeared onto the little one's grandmother.

The machines had sung her final rhapsody moments after the baby fell asleep. Kasumi still had her smile on and it was an image neither twins, nor their father, would ever forget.

Holding back a wistful sigh and glancing at the vending machines, the redhead finally chose good ol' espresso. Taking a sip, he ignored the grins from the watching interns.

Immediately, Kevin spat out the mouthful. "The hell?!"

"We forgot to mention: machine-made coffee never tastes as good as you make it yourself at home."

One nurse held out the cream pitcher and sugar packets, smiling widely. "Want some?"

The young captain glared at the medical personnel before snatching said items.

"Next time, I'm bringing my own," he muttered darkly before sipping the now sweetly caffeinated drink and thinking ways of killing, erhm, maiming the now laughing crew.

*    *    *    *    *    *

A dark blue blur zipped through the hallways, startling most of the people there and causing one nurse to nearly drop a tray of syringes. At that speed, one isn't able to see the panic and fear on the boyish face, a smile much more suited than what he has on.

'Please let her be alright! Please let her be alright! Please let her be alright!' and the mantra ran on endlessly inside his mind.

Finally crashing into a larger body, both men recognized each other and Sam grabbed the other's wrist, rushing to their destination. Both understood, no words needed to be exchanged.

A couple more rights, scaring a few folks taking walks, some lefts, dodging a crash cart and trashing the lunch cart (and saving some people from a good chance of food poisoning, courtesy of the kitchen). 

In the end, they reached the room they were looking for. Without further ado, both kicked the door open and the sight that met their eyes wasn't exactly a good thing. That is, in their minds so they saw red.

Karen was still lying on her hospital bed, an oxygen mask covering her mouth and nose. Her hair was down, having lost the elastic in the chaos and wearing one of those anesthetic-smelling flimsy white hospital dress. That wasn't it.

Kenneth was sitting in one of those uncomfortable plastic/metal chairs, hospital gown draped over to reveal a body any female nurse would die for (eight-pack, chisel chest; often working out type of body). Not to mention a swath of white bandages surrounding the left shoulder. Nope, not the reason either.

The cause as to why both newcomers were about to lose their leash on their fuses was that Karen had some tears in her eyes and that the red-haired officer was holding her hand. To the visitors, it was sacrilege.

"Who--" Sam breathed in.

"The--" the shorter one said, taking one step forward.

"Bloody--" Twitching eyebrow.

"Hell--" Another step.

"Are--" Clenching fist.

"You--" Stressed smile.

"And--" Knuckles cracking.

"What--" Teeth grinding.

"Do--" Nerve throb.

"You--" Third step making spider-web cracks on the linoleum.

"Think-" One hand gripping a nearby chair, bending the metal frame.

"YOU'RE DOING?!?!?!" both roared, nearly blowing Ken and Karen's hair out. Not to mention pretty much rattling the entire building, making people think it was another aftershock. Both dogs whimpered, covering their heads with their paws.

Blinking repeatedly to get some moisture back into his eyes, the officer's only reply to them was a cute "Oro?"

Immediately, he felt like he was getting another lesson from Shishou due the sudden rising of the two men's ki, flames in their eyes.

"Answer the question, man!" the FBI agent nearly shouted.

"SAM!! SOREN!!" Karen shouted, seeing where this was going but slightly pissed, wiping away her tears with one hand that wasn't poked with needles. Not a good idea to shout when you were afflicted with air deprivation for some time but she forgot about that and began coughing a bit.

Hearing her voice and coughing, both men calmed down a bit, though still sending glares at the now confused officer.

'Geeze.... every time they see me with a boy they all look like they're ready to bring out the semi-automatics!' Shaking her head amusedly, Karen smiled cheerfully behind the clear mask. Having been deprived of air for nearly eight minutes, her lungs and body needed time to accustom itself into breathing again.

"I'm fine, really! For crying out loud! It's just the medicine and don't you dare pull your gun out, Sam! This is a hospital, not the shooting range! And I didn't really think that an investigator would carry a fire-arm with him all the time, eh?! Put that S&W back into your holster, Soren! And get those safety locks back on! I don't want security dragging you two off just because of a misfire!"

Turning to Ken, Kaoru kept on smiling, noticing that his eyes had taken on the "deer-caught-in-the-headlights" look, which caused her to giggle a bit. Both gun wielders immediately clicked the safeties back on their weapons, slight embarrassment and sheepishness on their faces. Sam grumbled under his breath, thinking that it was a bit humiliating he was being ordered around by a younger female.

"Ken, I'd like you to meet my older brother Soren Kamaryn, and my older step-brother Samson Saagra," she said, gesturing her hand at the aforementioned names and hoping to diffuse a fight from breaking out. "Soren's a Crime Scene Investigator with the San Francisco PD while Sam's a Defensive Tactics instructor at the LA FBI branch here. Guys, this is Sergeant Kenneth Hilmringer, a negotiator with LAPD. Oh, by the way, Soren's is on vacation and that's why he's down here."

All three men nodded, their training as law enforcers not requiring them to exchange much words.

An uncomfortable silence then settled, tension still between the two step-brothers and the slightly agitated cop.

"Okay, buster. Spill it," Soren spoke, light-blue eyes flashing with the protectiveness of any older sibling.... especially the male type over the little sister. "What are you doing here and how did Karen get injured?"

Being someone who always dealt with gore upon arriving on a crime scene, especially those dealing with homicides, Soren could handle it. Seeing his only sister in almost the same case, that he can't handle; he'd go insane or rather hunt down the moron mercilessly.

Scratching his head, Ken merely smiled sheepishly.

Giving another sigh, Karen finally started, both men's attention riveting onto her. That left Ken to stare out the window, the skies slowly darkening, heralding a nasty storm.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

_/Red sprinkled onto the pavement, turning from bright to a darker shade as it hit the blacktop._

_"I-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"_

_That scream was what finally gave Karen the chance to breathe but at the price of Ken shielding her with his body. The bullet had inserted itself into his left shoulder and nearly damn cracking his shoulder blade._

_Ignoring the wailing of ambulance sirens and flying orders, Kevin wiggled out of the hands of concerned fellow officers, trying to reach his brother, sheathing and dropping his katana._

_"....hitokiri wa hitokiri till death..... Battousai...." came the whispered words, eerily in Udian's voice. Yet, the phrase sounded a bit archaic and in Japanese._

_Whipping his head toward Jean, all he saw was a dead body going into rigor mortis and blank green eyes, blood slowly dripping out the bullet hole and the mouth. As well pooling near the bottom close to the pavement. Two paramedics placed the corpse into a body bag, ready for the coroner at the morgue (not that it was really necessary, except the head coroner loved to use autopsies as an initiation for newbies) to prepare a report._

_'He's dead. No way in hell can he talk.' Shaking his head, Kevin continued on. 'Go check up on little bro!'_

_"Officer?" Karen gasped, slightly shuddering in the wintry chill. One medic placed a thick blanket around her after cutting the bonds and putting an oxygen mask onto her face._

_The other was putting pressure onto Ken's wound, causing the older man to slightly wince. Turning his head to her, he smiled, trying to reassure her._

_"I'm fine, miss. Just a flesh wound."_

_"More than a flesh wound, officer," the EMT said, covering the patch with gauze. "I think that bullet might have hit the scapula and you're gonna need to get it pulled out."_

_"You're also gonna need some time to get some rest and so your body could get back into gear, ma'am," the other intern said, adjusting the valves and writing down on his clipboard. "Vision's fine? Sense of feeling or anything okay?"_

_"Yes, yes," She replied hastily, though sounding as if she had a real bad case of asthma. "Just a little dizzy and wheezy but I'm fine."_

_"Well, I'd let you go but the docs at the hospital are probably gonna keep you for a 24 hour observation."_

_Karen grumbled under her breath, coughing a little, several curses that would've cost her a week's worth of detention._

_Still wanting to see if his brother was alright, Kevin tried to walk over but one EMT grabbed his left arm and he hissed._

_"Sorry, sir but you're going to San Pedro Peninsula Hospital for a check-up."_

_A glare that could bend steel. "What about--"_

_"Those two will also be there so relax, man."_

_Looking over back at Ken, Kevin gave a sigh and reluctantly followed the medic toward one of the ambulances. Giving one glance over to Sagi, the young captain subtly nodded his head toward the Pontiac and his brother's Toyota._

_The Chief raised an eyebrow, crushing the still smoking stub under his shoe's heel. 'You want me to take them back? I think not.'_

_A feral growl came from the red haired captain as raised his hand to a level just below his shoulder. 'Give Zeke the Firebird. He'll take care of the Tacoma.'_

_Sagi abruptly turned around, causing Kevin to nearly lose his temper but the shorter officer instead threw his keys at his superior's head. The wolf (as nicknamed by a little girl who had gotten lost several months back and the name stuck, much to Toan's delight and Sagi's chagrin) snatched them easily from the air, in which the young officer mumbled a disappointed curse._

_After being loaded into the ambulance, the EMT immediately went to work, another one scribbling down on a clipboard. The third one hit the gas on the vehicle, wanting to be out of the glaring guy's sight and that nervousness was starting to affect his driving skills._

_Both Ken and Karen also got loaded onto another ambulance and followed the first one, the two canines following the younger redhead onto the medical car._

Picking up the now sheathed katana, Sagi tossed it onto the back seat. His thoughts weren't exactly with the road, the wolf's conscious more on auto-pilot. The subconscious was thinking more about his two subordinates' actions. Reckless, really but extremely efficient. He only shook his head before peeling the red Firebird out of the port, another officer taking his cruiser back to the department./

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

"--and this is where we ended up," Karen finished. "So don't you dare do anything stupid!"

Both of her older brothers grumbled their reluctant acceptance.

"And apologize to Officer Hilmringer! He nearly cracked his shoulder blade saving me from a bullet!"

Blinking out of his day-dreaming Ken found a hand stuck in front of his face. Looking up, it belonged to Soren, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry if Sam and I were a bit hard on ya. It's just that, well, with Karen as our only sister..."

Taking it ('Firm grip. He's a fighter') and shaking the investigator's hand, Ken merely smiled. "Mutual feeling. My older brother was fairly protective of me when we were kids as well."

"No hard feelings?"

A small grin. "None."

Sam merely grunted but he had a smirk on his face. "I'll have to beat ya to see if you'll do for little sis."

Soren burst out laughing when Karen started throwing things at their step-brother and Ken's face turned beet red at that reference.

It was the start of a crazy family, not by blood but by things they hold within their hearts.

*    *    *    *    *    *

Driving the Tacoma to the hospital where Ken was "held hostage", Zeke hummed along with one of the songs on the a CD he had burned. Having dropped off the Firebird at Kevin's home, the speed demon went back to take the pickup. Musing a bit in his mind, the young rookie smiled a bit, fingers still tapping to "Shuffle" by Masami Okui.

'The air's gotten a bit warmer.... I see that ao tori have siblings that approve of aniki.... Otouto won't be happy but he'll live.'

Whistling along with the lyrics, he happily continued on the freeway, wind blowing through the open windows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

another long-winded AN notes:

S&W: short for Smith & Wesson, one of the leading firearms manufactures. Other than the popular Colt .45, it's usually issued for law enforcement agencies like police and the Feds. Can be purchased by civilians as long as you carry the required permits with you if you're gonna carry the thing around.

Semi-automatics are different from automatics. Autos, for short, can fire continuously as long you keep the trigger depressed, like an AK-47. Semi-automatics, a 9mm for example, can only fire one shot at a time when you pull the trigger (keep pulling it and you keep unloading lead, in other words).

Quantico, Virginia, is the main place where cadets go to train in order to be an FBI agent. The usual are physical, firearm training, medical, and diplomacy, as far I know from watching "The X-Files". In order to have Sam (Sano) to be close to Karen (and mess with Ken's mind about Karen, conspiring with Soren), I decided to create a training grounds at the Los Angeles Branch. Odd that I got Tori-atama as a Special Agent, much less an instructor? Hey, this IS AU. At least I kept his fishbone! Finding out about FBI ranks is near to frustration so I stuck with what was mentioned at the FBI employee site and fool around a bit.

http://www.fbi.gov/

http://www.fbijobs.com/

Karen (Kaoru) being deprived of air for more than five minutes is partially possible. In reality, she could've suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen to the brain. BUT, since Kaoru survived Jin-E's Shin no Ippo for nearly five minutes, then so can Karen. Crazy RK logic. *shrugs* So sue me.

Cardiac arrest is one fancy term of saying you're having a heart attack. Another way of saying is myocardial infarction, MI, and/or acute MI. Courtesy of me taking Emergency First Responder classes, the remnants still lingering. An Emergency 1st Responder is lower than a paramedic or EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) but you can go up to those ranks with training and lessons. Despite being at a lower level, both Responder and EMTs are on the same field and they work together for major things, like a bombing at a mosque for example.

There's a reason why I chose to have Kevin with the Pontiac Firebird and Ken with the Toyota Tacoma; it's based on Kenshin's way of fighting back during the Bakumatsu and the Meiji Jidai. As Battousai, he needed speed to take his enemies down, both hitokiri and as bodyguard (would you want to be slow around the Shinsengumi? I think not). As Rurouni, he requires strength to beat the stuffing out of his opponents. Thus, the Firebird for speed and the Tacoma for power. Logical, no?

Surprised that I chose Kasumi as Kevin and Ken's mother? If ya folks are, get over the shock. That was partly on purpose, since the original Kasumi gave up her life to protect Shinta. She was the one who begged him to live out his life (either that or Sakura, since I posted that at the RKDreams forum), if I'm right on the names of the three girls. Thus, Kasumi to give birth to the twins, as a symbolic way of her protecting our lovable redheads.

"Banji" means "second born of twins" in African. In Japanese, it means "all; everything". Double play of words, for a silly reason. "Banji" as Ken's middle name and as a surname for his mother, who gave everything and took nothing in return. Another play on symbolism of me picking names to suit the characters.

Also shocked that Kevin has a son? I'll reveal more of the chibi later on. For now, all of you guys will have to suffer and agonize over the kid. Yes, he's married to Toni (Tomoe) and she might show up in the next part with another certain character and probably the kid as well. Kevin's boy is part from the thing where I kept thinking "What if Kenshin and Tomoe had a son before she died and he's looking for Papa Ryuu but not for revenge?" and this kinda came as a perfect chance. Not exactly the right timeline I was hoping for but it was the closest. Hey, it's AU. *shrugs*

Soujirou (Soren) as Kaoru's relative isn't so astounding to me. "Love & War" by Mizusato Houki (formerly Himura Kaoru) placed him as Kaoru's cousin. Sano as the older brother (step-brother, in this case) is based on how I see the big lug; he seems to treat her as the little sister he had left behind in order to join up with the Sekihoutai. Maybe it's because of watching the Jin-e part on Seisouhen. Go read the 2nd profile if you have to. And yes, I inserted the infamous "protective-big-brother-over-little-sister" gene into both boys. If you think that's bad, wait till you meet the oldest bro of Soren, Sam, and Karen. *wink* In some AU fics, he's already portrayed as Kaoru's big bro so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise for you guys.

Sam beating two hundred men up is directly based off of vol. 26 in the manga. Sano actually beat up this yakuza's goons, who were controlling his hometown through a phony silk business and a waylaid station. Other than the reason of protecting his former home, the yakuza's leader is the nephew of Tani, the fat pig Sano and Kenshin had to protect from Jin-e back in episode 6. Of course, still bearing his grudge against most surviving Ishinshishi, you get the picture.

http://www.maigo-chan.org/ruroken.htm

Choosing Soren as Crime Scene Investigator was tying him to Soujirou, being Shishio's right-hand and having killed his family as a child. Dealing with blood and other nasties on the street requires a strong stomach and Soujirou was the best one to fit the job.

Yes, there's an actual temple in Downtown Los Angles. As mentioned, it's called the Nishi Hongwanji Temple and it's not too far from Little Tokyo. There's also the Koyasan Buddhist Temple, the Jodo Shu Betsuin Buddhist Temple (also known as the Jodo Temple), the Zenshuji Temple, and the Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple. I've yet to visit them, so I'll give 'em a try in the future.

http://www.niseiweek.org/fest_map.htm (actually a map of this year's Nisei Week Festival but it shows the important locations found in Little Tokyo)

The New Otani Hotel have a rooftop Japanese garden on the 3rd floor, if I read correctly (why they call it "roof-top garden" when it's on the third floor beats me). The "Garden in the Sky" can be reserved for wedding receptions, up to 200 guests, meetings, and other special occasions (at a good, darn price as well). As a Zen garden, it has all seven principles of Zen and it also incorporates the surrounding panorama. That's called "shakkei" or "borrowed landscape".

http:// www.newotani.com/

The seven principles of Zen:

Fukinsei - asymmetry or dissymmetry

Kanso - simplicity

Koko - austerity, maturity, bare essentials, venerable

Shizen - naturalness, absence of pretense

Yugen - subtly profound, suggestion rather than revelation

Datsuzoku - un-worldliness, transcendence of conventional

Seijaku - quiet, calm, silent

http://www.niwa.org/Nature.html

"Shuffle" by Masami Okui is the 2nd season OP to Yugi-Oh! or Duel Monsters. I like the fast pace of the song and the phrase "Just like cards" kinda represents our lives; some things are nothing more than chance at the draw.


	5. Police Profile III

Profile Stats III  
  
  
Extensive bout of research (in which most of the digging was a waste of time and brain cells), thus the slight delay. *hangs head, tired* I hate researching but it's necessary to make a fic for good reading. Sure, it's annoying but at the same time, it's kinda cool since when we're always learning about stuff we never thought before.  
  
Disclaimers: Those of the RK cast, belongs to Watsuki-sensei. Kazeki is mine.  
  
===============================  
  
  
Name: Kamaryn, Ashley Shriomoin  
  
AKA: Icicle, Snake Leader  
  
Age: 26  
  
DOB: 01/15/76  
  
Height: 6'  
  
Ethnicity: Japanese/British  
  
Rank: Information Officer, Captain  
  
Cool, collected, calm, and a bit cold, hence his nickname "Icicle". "Snake Leader" later came during the few recon missions, most of his teammates complaining about his coldness and the ability to slip quietly away without anyone noticing. The son of Soren and Karen's father with a British woman when Kamaryn was on vaction near Stonehenge before the Kamaryn siblings' birth. After his mother died due to nature causes, their father remarried again in the States. True, his silent air and British accent often kept him apart from making many friends, save a few that actually befriended him instead, his half-sister loved him to pieces from the start. A small bout of sibling rivalry sparked between him and Soren, later along with Sam but after a good beating from a six-year old Karen (which none of the three will admit), they got along much better. The friends that had befriended him during his younger years is seen as a gang, yet in reality, they're just a group of best buddies with ranging interests.  
  
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~  
  
Name: Kamaryn, Karen  
  
AKA: Raccoon, Karrie  
  
Age: 19  
  
DOB: 06/07/83  
  
Height: 5' 2"  
  
Ethnicity: American/Japanese/Western Europe  
  
Rank: Civilian  
  
Bright, trusting, and somewhat violent if provoked enough. Despite being the youngest and the only girl admist a family with four boys, Karen still had some girl wants and needs. As a toddler, she was equally doted by Soren and Ash, them always watching her every step. When Sam came into the family by their mother and his adopted father's marriage, Karen immediately took to him as any brother at the age four. Soren and Ash took a little convincing from their baby sister to finally accept Sam as their sibling, courtsey of the dreaded 'cute puppy/chibi eyes', which almost all older siblings hate but can't resist. Being part Japanese from her mother's side, Karen immediately fell in love with the culture and had hours of fun dressing her brothers up in the kimonos borrowed from female relatives, much to the boys' chagrin. Martial arts later came and she took up kenjutsu at the nearest dojo, her brothers taking up other forms. Personality wise, Karen is quite easy to get along. Oddly enough, she seems to have some control over Ash, Sam, and Soren, be it as a young adult or child. One thing all three brothers agree on: do NOT, under any circumstances, make fun of her cooking.  
  
  
  
===============================  
  
AN: And voila! Ashley, the eldest Kamaryn sibling, originally known as Aoshi. He's still the same guy who doesn't talk much but with a soft spot for Kaoru and his family. I've read some fics where Aoshi's Kaoru's older bro and thought, hey, why not? Here, he's the half-sibling and oldest of the family. Originally, I wanted Ash to be in the UN Peacekeeping group as on the frontlines but figured that he'd be more comfy with being in intelligience.  
  
On his rank, I'm borrowing a bit from "Rahxephon". Shitou Haruka is a captain in the Intelligence department. Quite difficult to accurately denote ranking in these kinds of sites but I'm just grateful that the military system on ranking system isn't too much different on various organisations. Technically, information officers aren't used in peace-keeping operations for the UN but since he gathers intelligence on any current situation, I've decided to tweak. Just to let him be still occasionally Oniwabanshuu Okashira in the modern era. ^\~  
  
The link is an extension of the UN homepage to the UN Peacekeeping. A little tricky to navigate.  
  
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/home.shtml  
  
Karen's personality isn't too much from Kaoru, save that she's a bit more rambunctious than her Meiji counterpart. But she wouldn't be Kaoru if I didn't kept the fact that she still can't cook too well! *smiles widely but winds up with a bokken lodged in the head* Itai.... Okay, maybe an improvement but if any of you guys have watched episode 5 of Fruits Basket, you'll get my drift. She can cook, just the fact that the foods are dried, even miso!  
  
The dojo Karen help teaches at is the only one I know that even has to deal with katanas. I've been there before and it is quite almost like stepping into a dojo in Japan. It's an aikido dojo and yes, it has bokkens on the wall. Normally, they wouldn't let spectators in but I think I got lucky that time, though I wouldn't recommend anyone trying that again. One of the shihans kept looking at me funny until I finally left.  
  
Along the wall to your left when you enter, you see the ranks and names of students and teachers alike. Furuya Kensho sensei is the author of "Kodo: Ancient Ways" and of "The Art of Aikido", a nine-volume video series. His office is on the, ah, second floor by taking the stars, near the name plagues. Iaido is also taught there, though only adults allowed in the class. Furuya-sensei also founded the Los Angeles Sword & Swordsmanship Society, where you can learn a bit more about iaido and katana fittings.  
  
http://www.aikidocenterla.com/  
  
All RK characters birth months are from the artbook Hiden, save Zeke's. So, none of you guys can pester me about the accuracy on their birthmonths! Birthdates were a bit tricky, save Kenshin's, that much I'll admit. Karen's DOB took some math thinking, as I follow both manga and anime. In epsisode 66, in which Kenshin "proposes" to Kaoru, Tae mentioned that our favorite shihandai's birthday was one month earlier. Tae also said that it was Tanabata, which occurs on the 7th day of the 7th month, according to the Lunar Calendar (think of it as China and Japan's version of Valentine's). As Kaoru's birthmonth was the 6th month, I decided to go with the Gregorian Calendar.  
  
~ 


	6. Family Members Can Drive You Crazy

Number 3! Blame the delay on my account of being distracted most of the time, combined with me trying to avoid procrastination on my homework. Plus me downloading new episodes of Inuyasha, Naruto, and Samurai Deeper Kyo, while looking around for old classics. Which is pretty much futile. *sneezes* Oww..... I hate fall and winter....

Disclaimers: never mine, never will be. Only Shinryuu Kazeki, who is my character.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 3: Family Members Can Drive You Crazy

Slowly, as Sam and Soren warmed themselves up to Ken, they found themselves happily arguing on car chases, gun types, martial arts, breaking-new technology for their departments, and other things guys talk about.

Pleased and happy that her older siblings weren't going to kill her savior, Karen decided to sleep, after nearly having to toss out the cafeteria food, which Sam ate like a starved dog (Soren only shook his head at his brother's antics and Ken stared with wide eyes). Besides, it's not like either patients could leave the hospital until Kevin and Sam signed their hospital papers or when the doctors would let them go after the overnight observation. Speaking of canines, Sax had slipped out of the room and trotted downstairs, startling a lot of people.

Speaking of the older twin, he was currently lounging on one of the couches in the lobby, head tilted back and eyes closed. Of course, he knows that a crick in the neck is most likely but currently, the captain was starting to get exhausted from the days events. It was fairly often the case: wake up, eat breakfast, head to the station, visit some sort of crime scene or chase a moron, get injured in almost every possible way to rival Jackie Chan, get stuck in the hospital with doctors poking at you, become tired, and then....

The sound of pittering and pattering sneakers on tiled floors instantly snatched at his ears, which briefly twitched.

Not even opening his eyes or moving his body, Kevin snapped up his good arm to catch a flying bundle that was about collide with his chest. Slowly, the captain opened one gold eye, expecting the usual thing.

Said usual thing was a mock pouting, wiggling five year-old boy that looked almost exactly like a miniature version of Kevin. Though the kid had a darker shade of red hair that was tied back into a tiny ponytail, not to mention messy bangs dropping over his face. The kid's dark-yellow eyes were sparkling with mischief and innocence, yet with intelligence and a shine of understanding that seemed beyond his age.

"Awww.... Dad!" the little one protested, squirming a bit. "Lemme go!"

"Why do you keep trying that, Keith? You know I can tell when you're coming. Especially the way how you run."

A wide grin that nearly split his face, despite the fact that he was hanging by his jacket collar. "It's fun!"

"Darn. He did it again," came a new voice, wry, slightly sarcastic, and that of a young male.

"You, of all people, know that I can sense people, Ennis," Kevin replied, "no thanks to Shishou." Turning his head back, he saw his wife and young brother-in-law walking over. To Toni, the captain gave a smile, one which she returned. To the sixteen year-old, a smirk that always rattled Ennis' nerves.

"And we all know that you often end up in the hospital, one way or another, no thanks to your wild nature from your father," she quipped back in her soft voice. Walking around the couch, Toni took their son from his father's grip and set the boy down onto the ugly furniture. "What's the injury this time?"

"Laceration to the left shoulder, fourteen stitches. No strenuous activities for a week on it or until the doc pulls 'em out."

Shaking her head, Toni gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before spotting the German padding over. "Sax? I thought the hospitals didn't allow any canines other than guide dogs..."

"They don't but after several, ah, 'incidents' in the past few weeks or so, the hospitals decided to let K-9s in as well."

A low chuckle followed his reply, gold orbs trailing Keith as the boy slid down onto the rug and tussled with the larger dog happily, Toni's younger brother sitting near the rambunctious two. As often the young uncle showed his resentment toward his brother-in-law, Ennis could never bring himself to hate his nephew. The kid seemed to have this thing that makes you become relaxed and be calm even if you're extremely stressed out from a bad day.

Running hand through his white/silver hair (the bottom part from the ear down still black), Ennis knew it was baby-sitting time for him again. Kevin can't exactly drive a stick shift with an injured shoulder, and Toni was sometimes too busy working as DA in Downtown. Cases seemed to be popping out almost everyday and almost everywhere, nearly driving her, the other DAs, and their assistants (most of them students learning a bit more being a lawyer) to near insanity.

Zeke usually took care of Keith but his schedule usually happened to be packed with art galleys, doing the occasional sketching that could almost rival Van Gogh's or Monet's, yet not beat those of manga artists. Not to mention the few concerts he sometimes conducted, being a musical prodigy on composing music that is enjoyed by those old and young.

The rookie's younger brother was still in 5th grade and wasn't allowed to take care of the kid, despite the fact that the monkey brat was more than capable of watching someone five years his junior. Kenneth was out of the question this time, given the same occupation with his brother and the tendency to get injured five times out of ten. Except for the few day-offs he weaseled out of the chief.

Oddly enough, the captain's brother-in-law didn't seem to mind. At times, he often forgot what it was like to be a high school student and became a child again. For all his dislike toward Kevin, Ennis loved to take care of Keith. Maybe it's because of his last words....

"Hey, Ennie?"

Shaking his head out of his musings, the high school student looked at dark yellow eyes filled with innocence. "Something, Keith?"

Even though he was the boy's uncle, Keith never called him by that relation name. Ennis said it made him sound old so the little one stuck with calling the sixteen-year old "Ennie."

"How long are we gonna be stuck here?" Kevin's son lounged over Sax, now napping on the ugly carpet. For some strange reason, the German Shepherd was a bit larger than the breed's usual size; this K-9 was just three-quarters the size of a Great Dane.

"Until your dad finish up some paperwork for your uncle and himself."

Keith wrinkled his nose, knowing that "some" paperwork would be like a stack that could rival his schoolbooks.

"Get used to it, kiddo." Ennis affectionately ruffled the boy's already messy and thick hair. "That's how the system works; they make you wait and then you have to wait longer."

"Hey! Stop that!" The young redhead batted futilely against his uncle's hand before giving up and snuggling back against Sax.

Kevin hid a small smile but frowned when a nurse came up with the forms.

"Uh... sir, here's the forms you need to fill out. When you're done--"

"--take them up to the receptionist and then leave?" Toni finished before her husband's glare could rattle the poor male any further. That gold gaze could leave any person unsettled, though it had the opposite effect on her.

"Ah, yes." Hastily dropping two stacks against the table and leaving a pen, he quickly left, muttering about crazy cops with weird eyes.

The DA gave a long suffering sigh before fishing a pen of her own out of the purse and began filling in the blanks, for her brother-in-law. Snickering at his wife's reaction, Kevin swiftly filled out his own paperwork, still glad to have at least vented some frustration from his systems.

A *fwoomp* from across him sent a few pieces up, smacking his face. Brushing them back into order, Kevin looked up at the person, gold eyes blazing as his Irish temper began to rise again.

"Hey, I thought you were upstairs with..." Sam trailed off when he got a better look at the redhead sitting across him.

"You thought I was with who upstairs?" the captain softly spoke, a slightly feral smile creeping onto his face. Toni grabbed his hand and from his peripheral vision, she shook her head, flicking her eyes to their curious son, peering over the fur of his snoozing canine partner. Immediately, he calmed down, taking in a long, deep breath and reigned in the dragon within him.

The taller man scratched his head sheepishly, hiding his unease around the shorter officer. The FBI agent knew that he might be taller and with a longer reach but Sam could tell that this one could give him a run for his money if they fought each other. IF he got around to having a match with Kenneth.

"Sorry man. You look just like the guy who's staying in a room with my little sis. 'Cept his hair was in a low ponytail and with purple eyes."

"That'd be my twin brother. I'm his older sibling, Captain Kevin Hilmringer of LAPD."

Sam cocked his head, the bandanna ends shifting like feathers rustling, before giving a grin. "LAPD, eh? And who is this lovely lady?"

"Toni Hilmringer," the shorter man replied, slightly bristling at the 'lovely lady' part, "my wife. And who might you be, Rooster Head?"

"Kevin!"

Keith and Ennis both snickered at the nickname given to the new comer in the dark trench coat. With his red bandanna making the brown hair stand up (literally defying the laws of gravity), the tall man DID resembled a rooster.

Upon hearing that moniker, the agent bristled a bit but held his mouth in check since Keith was present and Sam didn't want to go through another bout of a pissed off/protective mother. The last time that happened was when he was just wrapping up a crazy domestic/kidnapping case and was exchanging a verbal war with the suspect to a point where they on the verge of getting into a fistfight. Both earned hard smacks to the heads due to hyper-maternal instincts and their ears pretty much red after being told off for nearly three hours straight. Death threats to his co-workers was the only thing that kept the other agents from giving Sam hell about that incident.

Speaking of names, the captain's rung a faint bell inside this instructor's head.

"Special Agent Sam Saagra of the FBI, LA Branch."

"What, couldn't afford to go to Quantico or work at DC?" Kevin quipped, still filling out the blanks with practiced ease. He was going to have fun with this guy, being the object of his way to vent out the frustration of work.

"No, I teach at the academy up in Downtown. Defensive Tactical Instructor," Sam replied, gritting his teeth as his pen flew over the paper as if he did it many times (nearly 2/3s of the forms back in the nurse's office file cabinet at the LA branch all contained his signatures, to tell the truth). He was starting to hate this cop's guts. "It's for those who can't go to Quantico or those who can't handle the weather over there."

"Oh?" Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Special Agent, eh?"

"Don't even think about asking if we have anything about a X-files office/cabinet or have Agents Mulder, Scully, Dogget, OR Reyes. That show might have been right in a lot of stuff (namely the necessary actions when a case comes up) but I don't really believe if there's a government conspiracy," the taller man nearly all but snapped. Mentally, he was punching himself upside on the head; rarely lost his temper but this guy was driving him nuts!

"Not that."

Sam paused on ticking off the "Yes/No" part. "What?"

The captain grinned. "Wondering if you ever met Skinner."

Wanting to beat that grin off the officer's face ('When did his teeth look so sharp?'), Sam merely clenched the pen tightly, causing the outer casing to crack. He didn't resort to violence since the guy's son was around, watching the exchanging banter with wide eyes. Being chewed out for cursing was bad enough, no reason to have his ear yanked for violence or kicked out by security for fighting in a hospital facility. Not to mention, Kevin's surname kept on sounding a bit familiar in his mind.

"Nope, and may I ask what you do for a career, ma'am?"

Toni pleasantly smiled, causing some men that were close enough to see/hear the banter to have hearts pop into their eyes or appear over their thick skulls. Ennis turned a teal glare on all of them and they snapped their heads away, sweatdrops forming and all the while shuddering. Keith immediately snickered; he always loved it when his uncle turned those turquoise eyes into teal orbs and directed them onto people who always looked at his mother in a funny way. It was much more amusing if his father did that himself; gold seemed to be more scarier than teal.

"I'm a lawyer."

"What kind of lawyer, ma'am?"

Kevin held in a snicker, nudging his brother-in-law in the ribs.

"Grand Jury District Attorney Hilmringer of Downtown LA, Mr. Saagra."

If linen could get any whiter, then Sam nearly reached that shade. At the same time, he nearly screwed up his signature at the bottom and final page of the stack.

'Oh shit! I've been hitting on the DA one who helped take down that freakin' Columbian drug cartel we were looking for six years ago when she was still in the Narcotics department! Plus the fact that she's this guy's wife, who assisted in the investigation when he was just fresh out of the police academy!! Why didn't I pay more attention during the briefings?!?! He's the cop who took down one of the worst serial killers that was on the top ten of America's Most Wanted and associated to that cartel SHE took out!! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap...'

Ennis smirked at the tall man's reaction upon hearing his sister's occupation, knowing that rooster head was probably remembering about that cartel/killer case six years ago. The other time something similar to this happened was when another moron actually fainted. Due to either brain overload or from the double death glares, he couldn't remember.

"There, done." Dropping his pen onto the table, Kevin massaged his hand, frowning at the slight cramp. "I hate filling out forms."

Sam clicked his pen back into his coat, flapping his left hand to loosen up the joints. "Che, yer not the only one."

Toni merely shook her head, replacing her writing tool back into her purse. "Will both of you two please stop this? We're in a hospital, not a dojo."

Having met several of her husband's Asian relatives during the Japanese festivities (namely Lunar New Year since almost everybody gathered at one of the larger homes), the DA came to appreciate and enjoy the Japanese culture. Some of the female relatives even took to her as a sister or cousin, given Toni's long black hair and dark-brown eyes. Despite the difficulty of understanding each other due to the language barrier (they were often correcting each other on proper usage), they all still got along like teenager girls in high school.

Giving one last glare, the tall FBI agent swept up all of their papers and dumped them with a loud bang onto the check-in desk, startling a starting to doze off receptionist.

"Oh, all done?" asked the nurse.

A sharp nod before mahogany spheres glowered at gold orbs. "I'll see ya around, CAPTAIN."

"Same to you, AGENT."

Sparks momentary flew between the two law enforcers (sending some people scurrying in fear) until Sam whirled around and walked off abruptly, his trench coat flapping and showing off the kanji. Many of the innocent bystan--er--witnesses all signed in relief. A whole bunch of them were almost expecting an old Wild West standoff... with guns blazing and bullets ricocheting.

Ennis blinked at his elder brother-in-law with turquoise eyes, exchanging looks with his nephew before the younger Hilmringer just shrugged. A "your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine" look on Keith's face.

"C'mon, let's go home," Kevin sighed, grabbing his leather jacket, trying to hide the cut.

Toni narrowed her eyes and paused a bit as her son and brother went on ahead to the Firebird.

"Kevin."

He immediately froze, knowing that tone of voice. A child would recognize it as the "you're-in-big-trouble-young-lady/man" tone and a husband would instantly know that if he doesn't give a good and honest answer soon.... Well, shall we say temporary banishment from the bedroom?

"Hai?"

The DA's eyes narrowed a bit more since her husband only spoke in Japanese when he was either serious or trying to hide something.

"Let me see the jacket."

Reluctantly, he turned his arm back and handed her the garment with the air of a condemned man.

Sticking a finger through the hole on the upper left sleeve, Toni glared at her husband before turning on her heel and walking off to the car. "

"Toni! Wait!"

Kevin followed his wife like a dog with his tail between his legs, or more accurately, a dragon hatchling with the tail in between the legs. Ennis was laughing his stomach out from the backseat while Keith and Sax only sweatdropped. This officer might be one of the most notorious in the police force of the Orange and LA Counties (as well with the CHP) as a "bad cop" but when it comes to his angry wife, he really doesn't stand a chance.

"You know that this was a gift!"

"I can explain..."

"It better be good mister!"

"Not my fault that Udian always carries a katana--"

"But you knew that he does!"

"I KNOW that but the ground was still wet..."

"Then why were you wearing those Oxfords? You do know that they aren't exactly the best on wet pavement."

"Er, Sagi had the dress code on at the station?"

A dark glare before she continued on, her back hiding the slight smile from Kevin.

"Toni! Hold on a moment!"

Ennis continued laughing, prompting his older brother-in-law to drive a bit recklessly on the way home and prompting a slight smack to the head after several protests that went ignored. Keith didn't quite understand what his mother said, just that "setting a bad example on how to drive" and "a bad model" was yelled at his father. Sax merely covered his eyes with his paws, still pondering about how he survived four years with these humans that had emotions which bewildered him beyond his canine senses.

*    *    *    *    *    *

"So....." Karen started nervously, twisting the sheets.

"So....."

"....."

Soren warily glared at the red haired officer, academy training kicking over (not to mention still in "protective-big-brother" mode). Even with the slightly feminine looks, this investigator could tell that this sergeant will be someone worth interesting to duel out on the mats. Karen looked at her guest, who was staring at her intently with eyes that could rival her father/sensei's the first time she had picked up a shinai as a child. Finally, she could bear it no longer.

"Is your hair dyed?" she blurted out before clamping a hand over her mouth, forgetting the mask that was still present.

Blinking several times and a soft "oro?", Ken gave out and chuckled, running his right hand through the unruly crimson bangs. Soren merely shook his head at his sister's question.

"Sorry...."

"Don't worry." He smiled reassuringly. "I get that a lot. It's natural, from my father's side, three-quarters Irish and one-fourth Scottish. My eyes are from my mother, who is Japanese."

Karen perked up. "Really? I don't really know too many Japanese folks with different eye colors, save my family."

"Heck, we're almost the only family with blue eyes," Soren added, "and bluish tints to our hair."

Ken smiled sadly. "Blue eyes... Father used to call Okaa-san that all the time, even though she kept on saying her eyes were violet."

"What happened to her?" the SFPD investigator asked.

A low sigh. "Cancer, five years ago. Being in any hospital always remind me and my brother of the time we spent with her before she passed away."

Soft yet slightly rough hands held his calloused one lying on the sheets. Sympathy and understanding, along with warmth. "Tell me more about your parents? How they met? I bet it was romantic."

Lavender orbs brightened a bit, a little mischief that Soren didn't seem to like.

"Father came upon Kaa-san when they were still high school students. Back then, they often saw each other but never talked to either one since it was only about twenty years or so after World War II. Antagonism against Japanese was still going strong, along side the beginning signs of paranoia against Russia. Going through the gangly stage at that time, Dad often found himself in fights. Either because of his temper or our bright red hair, since no one else at the school had such a shade that shifted color according to his mood, I'm not really sure. Not to mention gold eyes that could either warm and comfort you or freeze you in place. Let's just say that he's been in more fights than my older sibling was in while in high school.

"If you must know, Dad was born in Ireland but moved here when he was still a child, along with several the other families wanting to leave the chaos at that time. Most of our Irish relatives that live back in Ireland have, easily said, wild sides that could make your head spin. One warning if you ever get dragged into one of our family reunions: keep away any present or available alcohol."

Soren immediately bursted out laughing, slapping his thigh and clutching his stomach. Karen quickly admonished her brother all the while apologizing. Ken merely waved a hand nonchalantly, smiling widely before continuing.

"Kaa-san is a sansei, having been born after baa-san and her family were released from Manzanar when the war was over. Even though she grew up here all her life, my maternal grandparents kept our Japanese tradition and kept on teaching to our third-generation relatives. My uncle, somewhat the black sheep of the family and my mother's youngest (not to mention only) brother, had left to return back to Japan, Kyoto more precisely. When Grandfather asked why his son was going back, Shishou had replied he wanted to be stronger and to educate himself further. Essentially, Shishou took up kenjutsu and finally became a Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu master. Well, the successor is the correct term."

"Shishou? Master?" Karen blinked. "You call your uncle that?"

The red-haired sergeant smiled. "When Kevin and I went to visit him the first time for lessons, he insisted that we call him Shishou. It got stuck ever since we were children. Kevin's my older twin brother."

"The one who fought against that maniac who pretty much trashed my car?" she asked with a frown on her face.

A quick nod, noting the scary look.

Soren's furrowed his eyebrows upon Kevin's name. "Kevin... Captain Kevin 'Battai' Hilmringer? Wasn't he the guy who took out that cartel--whashis name, oh yeah, Big Tani--six years ago just after graduating from the police academy?"

Ken grinned. He always got a kick out of people reacting to his elder sibling's reputation. "Yep. Met him?"

"Once. I was in the same unit he was in before moving up to San Fran." The older Kamaryn looked at Ken for a moment, scrutinizing his facial details. "I knew I recognize that red hair but your eyes was the difference, plus the fact that he has a vertical scar on his left cheek while you have a horizontal one."

Blinking repeatedly, Karen took a closer look and noticed the dark brown line hidden amongst the red bangs. "Hey, how'd you get that?"

He rubbed it with his good hand, a bit thoughtful. "Kaa-san accidentally cut me with a sashimi knife when I was still a kid. We don't know why but it stayed and it continued to bigger as I grew older."

Shaking his head and checking the clock, Soren stood up and snatched his coat. "Welp, gotta go back to the motel."

"Awww... No staying for dinner with us?" Karen pouted, cutely in Ken's mind.

'Don't fall for it... Don't fall for it... Don't fall for it.... Her cooking is much worst than airplane OR hospital OR during academy training....' The investigator merely smiled. "Sorry, sis. I know it's almost dinnertime and I, for one, do NOT want to risk my stomach with hospital food. Hell, even airplane food is better!"

Walking to the door, Soren paused, turned around and grinned. "Then again, hospital food tastes more pleasant than your cooking!"

Karen was ready to throw some more objects again but her older brother had already left. Instead, the plastic water pitcher found its mark on the innocent one who was just walking in.

"ARA!" Arms flailed to keep a wrapped box from spilling its contents onto the floor.

"Oro? Oh, hello Zeke." Ken quickly grabbed the container from meeting its fate and placed it onto the rolling table. "What brings you here?"

Immediately getting up, and startling Karen at his speed, the young rookie reflexively smiled and wagged a finger. "Sore wa himitsu desu~u."

'"That is a secret?" What kind of answer is that?' Karen thought, looking at the teen. 'Though, there seems to be more than just a teenager....'

Zeke settled himself down into a chair that wasn't mauled by Sam's immense strength. "Actually, I'm here to pick you up when you get out, plus some dinner for you guys. Not to mention, your Camry is at the body shop for repairs, I'll have to drop you off as well."

"Hey! You have to be at least sixteen in order to drive a car legally! You don't look older than seventeen!"

A laugh, his hand behind his head. "Actually, 16-and-half, nee-san. I got special privilege since I'm a Rookie back at the department."

Sapphire eyes popped open as she stared at the slightly large blue uniform on the teenager, as if he has yet to grow into it. Ken unpacked the bentos the best he could without stressing his shoulder any further, all the while smiling.

"Miss Karen Kamaryn, I'd like you to meet Kazeki Shinryuu, my ward. We call him Zeke since it's easier for the other boys as they often have some troubles pronouncing it correctly. He's quite the accomplishment for someone near 17 years of age. Child prodigy, let's just say, in many things."

She had a look that plainly said, 'You're kidding.'

A sheepish smile as Zeke brushed away green-black bangs from his face, only to have them sweep back. "Maa maa... aniki. Just eat your dinner and I'll see that Kevin-san filled out the papers, along with yours, Karen-san."

After the rookie left the room, Ken offered Karen an onigiri. Looking down at the rice ball, she only blinked a few times before taking a bite from it. Suddenly her face screwed up as she chewed the grains slowly. He looked at her in concern, nibbling on a piece of tempura.

"Something the matter, miss?"

"No way...." The UCLA student stared at the rice with the sour plum inside.

"Kevin-san and your elder brother filled out the pa...pers.... Daijoubu, Karen-san?" Again, the younger officer took his seat, a question mark popping over his head.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She held up a finger, an odd look on her face. "Its just that I don't like it when other people can cook better than I can, especially when it comes to Japanese food."

As if frozen, Zeke fell off the chair after a few seconds' pause. Dimly, Ken swore he heard a Zen/Buddhist temple bell go off as he sweatdropped with an "oro".

*    *    *    *    *    *

Callused and tanned fingers tapped against the mahogany desk, slightly impatient as the ringing on the other side continued. Finally, the sound of someone fumbling to pick up the phone.

"*yawn* Hello?"

"Yello? Yo, bro!"

"Samson, do you know what time it is here?" Clipped tone, grumpy, and a bit sleepy.

"Er... 3AM?" 'Uh oh...'

"To be precise with Greenwich Mean Time, approximately 0430 hours, Samson."

Said FBI agent flinched when his name was said that way, leaning back against his chair back in his office. It often meant that the older stepbrother was in no mood for any kind of teasing. "Dude, sorry. I keep forgetting 'bout the time zones. Man! Ya really got to relax one of these days! It'll do you some good! Hey, I thought you were still with the UN Peacekeepers in Bosnia."

"Unfortunately, my current occupation prevents me from, as you say, 'relaxing'. And I'm currently attending an international police organization convention here in London."

"London? Damn! No wonder. Not even relaxation on the day offs?" Sam asked in disbelief, pausing on playing with a spare pen.

"Yes, not even on my free days." Forceful, the 'get to the point' tone and the sound of an older sibling pulling rank.

"Fine. I'm just calling cuz little sis got landed in the hospital today around noon on our side."

Rustle of sheets in the background and the creak of bedsprings, as if the person across the Atlantic was sitting up in an instant.

"Is she alright? Why did she go to the hospital?"

Sam chuckled softly, noting the sudden change in his stepbrother's voice. Even if the eldest Kamaryn brother was an asshole most of the time, mention anything about their baby sister and the man would probably move the heavens or mountains to find out. Well, bowl his way through a crowd of people, be it medical personnel or criminals or fellow officers, is the most likely case.

"Calm down, Ash. Karen's fine, just stuck there for the ol' 24 'cuz she nearly died due of lack of air for 8 minutes."

"Full detailed report, Agent Saagra," the older sibling nearly all but snapped.

"Alright, alright. Jeeze....." The tall federal officer propped his feet on his desk. "Karen was supposed to pick up Soren for lunch earlier today (our time) but then this maniac comes out of nowhere, shooting at several civilians. Of course, probably seeing her as the 'weak-defenseless-girl', he carjacked her car and her as hostage. You know how it's like down here, so bring in the black-and-whites. From what I can gather from some of the other officers, a standoff took place after the chase ended up at San Pedro. The wacko wanted a duel with one of the cops there, using katanas. Since he didn't want any interference, he 'froze' little sis in place. In the end, the cop's little bro saved her from a bullet before the crack head bought the farm."

Silence.

"Ash?"

"What was the suspect's name?"

Sam scratched his head for a moment. "Erhm......"

A frustrated sigh. "You didn't ask."

"Hey! I wasn't there! If you want to really know, go ask little bro! He was at the scene when it all started! Wait, scratch that, or you could just find out by hacking into their database."

"Very well. Since you disturbed me from my sleep, I might as well call Soren. Your phone calls are starting to rack up quite a bit on the long-distance bill."

*Click* Sam stared at the phone whining that annoying sound for a moment before shrugging.

"Feh. He sure could use a girl friend...."

Placing the handset back onto the cradle, Sam smirked a bit. 'If that girly cop thinks I'm gonna go easy on him, wait till he meets Ash. That shrimp is gonna get his ass whooped.'

Ashley Shriomoin Kamaryn may be Karen and Soren's oldest half-brother but he still packed quite the punch when it came to his family. Chuckling, Sam remembered the time when they were still kids, just a new family. Karen was picked on by a bunch of bullies on the front lawn when she was still a toddler, just barely five years old. Ash had pretty much beaten the stuffing out of the boys and got a good tongue lashing from their mother after she had found out. Brooding in his room, Karen had toddled in, climbed up onto the bed, smiled and wrapped her small arms around her half-sibling. Not a word was spoken. Sam and Soren couldn't believe their eyes when Ash smiled a bit and returned the hug upon spying through the ajar door. The two younger brothers, in near complete shock, stared at each other before slumping to the floor, back to back.

He smirked, thoughts drifting back to the present. "Wonder if the fox is available...."

*    *    *    *    *    *

Next day.....

"AN EVICTION NOTICE?!?!?!?!?!?!" Karen shrieked, her voice pretty much rattling the surrounding windows, door frames, and teethes. A hand snatched up the pink paper and crunched it under a fist with knuckles turning white. Both LAPD officers, their hair sticking in random directions, stared at the young student with wide eyes.

"Hey, girl, keep it down, why doncha?" Heads turned, locating the fat landlord, stuffing his mouth with chips.

She whirled on him, blue eyes flaring. "I'm getting evicted just because I was behind ONE FREAKING MONTH'S PAY?!?!?!?!" A stream of curses followed, causing several eavesdropping folks to faint or have nosebleeds. The two cops turned a bit pink at the words coming from her mouth, neither expecting such a colorful vocabulary.

"You know the rules: you slack behind, you're out of the place. Be glad that I'm letting you have a week until I call in to move your stuff out, girl."

"But-but-but--"

Leaving behind a trail of crumbs, the landlord shrugged and left, still eating away.

"AARRGGGHH!!!!!!" Karen tugged her hair in frustration. "That man! I hate him! Insufferable, a pig, noisy (and he complained about my stereo), so slow..." She continued to rant on until finally Ken gently placed a tanned hand onto her shoulder.

"Miss Karen, I was wondering...."

"Eh?"

"Aniki?"

"Would you consider boarding at my place?"

Karen and Zeke stared at him as if the sergeant had sprouted wings, tail and horns.

Ken sweatdropped. "What?"

--tsuzuku

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Long-winded Author notes #3:

Ashley is British for "From the Ash Tree", the long version of Ash. The name "Ashley" can be used for either gender.

"Shriomoin" is by fooling around with "Shinomori", and in this reality, Ash took it from his mother's side. Oh, to clear up on legal things, Kamaryn-san remarried after the death of his first wife. So, no worries about bigamy or stuff like that. Hey, I know my limits!

The scene where Zeke brings in the bento (lunch box) and Karen commenting about his cooking better than hers is directly ripped off from the first episode. ^\^ Kazeki, or Zeke, is of Chinese and Japanese heritage and being forced to take care of himself and his little bro made him an excellent person to be in the kitchen, be it Japanese osechi for Lunar New Year or Chinese rice-wrapped-in-bamboo-leaves for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Mr. Fat Landlord is based off of Yajirobe from DBZ. *shrugs* He was the only one who could fit into my description of a lousy apartment owner in which the other tenants would complain about.

And the first scar on our beloved redhead's (well, the nicer twin, that is) cheek is revealed! Really, I had no absolute idea on how to implicate the scar onto Ken. Kevin's scar was easily thought out, as his is vertical. Ken's horizontal scar took a little brainstorming and some creativity. I didn't want him getting it from the job so I decided a little twist; get it accidentally. Brain warp, no?

I know, Zeke driving at 16-1/2 is a bit odd but in California driving laws, you're allowed to take the written test and drive once you hit 16 years of age. First six months after passing the written test is practice until you take the practice test. After passing the driving test, you have to wait another six months before you can fully drive by yourself, save between midnight and 5AM. Well, according to the California driver's book. Zeke driving is me pulling on RK physics. I should know the deal with practice driving. -\-;;;

Tada!! Surprised about Kevin and Toni's chibi? Maybe not, for the few I had a few emails with. *wink* Keith is more like his father, rambunctious and, to quote an Irish uncle, "clever little bugger". Firuze had commented about Keith being a headache on two legs, though I see the kid as of more of a mature version of Kenji. "Keith" means "the wind". In what language, I don't know.

"Ennis" means "island" in Gaelic/Celtic, which suites our white tiger quite well. Hey, the grand finale of RK took place on his island, so why not? In most fics that deal with reincarnation, Enishi still hates Kenshin, one way or another. Here, Ennis resents Kevin but deep inside, our white-haired teen cares for the man. Oh, BTW, on his hair color, think Hatsuharu from "Fruits Basket". Black from the ear down and white at the top.


	7. Police Profile IV

Profile Stats IV  
  
Gomen nasai! A week spent up in San Francisco for Christmas (darn! no snow!) seems to have made me lose some writing cells. No worries! Hope you folks enjoy this profile and the awaited Part 4! ('specially Istoria.....)  
  
  
Disclaimers: All hail Watsuki-sensei, one of the greatest manga artists of all anime/manga times (not passing Tetsuka Osamu, the father of manga).  
  
===============================  
  
Name: Hilmringer, Toni Yorkshire  
  
Age: 24  
  
DOB: 09/23/78  
  
Height: 5' 3"  
  
Ethnicity: French-American/Wales  
  
Rank: Grand Jury District Attorney  
  
Poised, graceful, polite, and somewhat calm. Few can say that she is Kevin's rightful partner as wife. Despite bearing the characteristics of her mother's native France (and her name, "worthy of praise"), Toni still pertained some qualities as one born in the States. Her father was originally from Wales, posted in France while in the Royal Navy. Though still having difficulty speaking her deceased mother-in-law's tongue with her Japanese relatives, she enjoys the various arts made popular by Kasumi's home country, namely flower arranging or the Tea Ceremony (Cha No Yu). However, if a bit drunk from sake, one better watch out; "Dad, Mom's starting to lose it again!", as to quote Keith.  
  
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%  
  
Name: Yorkshire, Ennis  
  
AKA: Ennie (only to Keith), 'Nis  
  
Age: 16  
  
DOB: 05/06/86  
  
Height: 5'  
  
Ethnicity: French-American/Wales  
  
Rank: high school student  
  
Strong, proud, smart alec, and protective in an odd way. Being raised by Toni after their mother died during his birth, he became a bit obsessive over her. When she became engaged to an acquaintance of Kevin's, Ennis threw quite the tantrum. After said comrade-in-arms passed away and her marriage to the captain some time later, things went downhill. This student was close to being downright hostile at his new brother-in-law. It was only when the birth of his nephew drew the gap to near a close, getting Ennis closer with Kevin. Though rarely showing it, he is quite fond of Keith and deeply cares for his brother by law. It was his sister's marriage to the officer that caused part of his hair to go white, heavy stress and near insanity taking him.  
  
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%  
  
Name: Hilmringer, Keith  
  
AKA: Little Dragon (pet name from Toni)  
  
Age: 5  
  
DOB: 04/15/97  
  
Height: 3' 6"  
  
Ethnicity: Japanese/Irish/French/American/Wales  
  
Rank: civilian, elementary student  
  
Usually cheerful, this little one can be quite the handful. Being the youngest red-head in the family, he is often quite teased by his relatives and is the only one who can get away with calling Ennis "Ennie" (others have tried but they wound up being scared). Despite being young, Keith is quite smart for his age, outsmarting the larger bullies at school (and sometimes confusing his older family members). Not to mention, this "headache on legs" knows and understands his father's occupation, thus the slight mature air. If visiting the K-9 kennels, it seems that the dogs always want to play with him.  
  
  
  
===============================  
  
AN: Accepting all forms of fanart for Keith! Just think of him as a mini version of Kevin (Kenji with gold eyes, that is). Fanarts for the other characters also accepted; just go ahead and drop them in my email (or think of it as a challenge) or post them at www.mediaminer.org at your convenience. Talaco has sent me some fanart as gifts and I truly enjoyed them. Arigatou, kozou! ^\^ Oh, and Zeke? I only have a headsketch but if you want a look first, drop me a line.  
  
The way Ennis getting his hair partially white through that way was the only idea I had at the time. Unlike Enishi, Ennis pulls through after some harsh but true words from Toni and from her first finacee (guess who!).  
  
I had to make up Keith's birthday, so don't start gripping. Forgot whether Watsuki ever mentions Kenji's birthmonth in Hiden. *shrugs*  
  
If any of you guys are jaw-dropping or facefaulting, pick those jaws back and get up. Don't forget to put those eyeballs back in before they dry out. I DID warn about OOC.  
  
Tan Kimiko asked why the title is "Mirai no Kusari" ("Future Chains" or "Chains of Future"). The reason why I picked such a name (and in Japanese) is that instead of being the common "reincarnated-repeat-history" thing, I wanted to go for reincarnation but where they are just being themselves and living out to the fullest. No major psychos back for revenge from the past (evident by Ennis/Enishi), no major need to rush to save the government and whatnot (Kyoto Hen, Fusui Hen), and no worries about Shishou calling in the middle of the night (due to time zones) to bark at them to go back to Japan for family reasons.  
  
Ken & Kevin: HEY!  
  
Whoops! Slipped a little. Heh heh...... Like I said, this fic is just about them living out their lives, finding each other and creating bonds (hence, "chains" in the "future"). Zeke (AKA my chara) is the only one who can partially see the past, mainly the present, and the very near future (often scary his co-workers out). He's the only slightly supernatural aspect of the fic.  
  
Hope that clears it up to ya, Tan! 


	8. Of Staying at a New Home and Of Living T...

As this IS AU, expect some OOC to be abound. Circumstances and environment shapes who we are. I kinda wanted to break the old mold where the reborned characters retain all of their personalities; sorta like breaking tradition. I WILL keep them close to the originals but it's gonna be a bit tricky with all the interaction I'm putting in.

Disclaimers: *chasing after a very hyperactive Kenji-chan, this author and Yahiko looking worst for wear* Kenji! NO!! NOT THE ARTBOOK!!! ACK!! DON'T TOUCH THAT!!! AIIIIIIII-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! (Uncle style, from "Jackie Chan Adventures") THAT COSTED ME A FORTUNE!!!

*Kenshin and Kaoru, cuddling in the background with little hearts floating in the air, without a care in the world*

Yahiko: ::trip, CRASH!!:: KORRA KENJIIIII!!!!!!!!

Kenji: *laughs in delight, still running like crazy*

%    %    %    %    %    %    %    % denotes scene change from a location/characters

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 4: Of Staying at a New Home and Of Living Together 

"You're kidding," Karen said softly, staring at those bright amethyst eyes.

Zeke could only stare at his guardian with wide green eyes. "Aniki...."

"What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong, you ask? What's wrong is that are you out of your mind?!" Karen nearly shouted. "You saw how two of my brothers reacted! Do you know what's gonna happen if my eldest brother found out?!?!?!"

"Etoo...."

The younger officer visibly sweated. Whenever his guardian spoke in Japanese, it was either the man was serious or extremely nervous.

"Soren might have gone easy with you, while Sam is most likely gonna challenge you but you have no idea what Ash is gonna be like! The man was almost insufferable when I just started middle school! He used to promptly come right over after school was 

over and any guy that looked at me beyond friendship often found themselves having to be scraped off of the walls!" She paused, taking a breather.

"Okay, maybe Sam and Soren as well since they're fine with me living by myself but me living at your home? Ash is SO gonna flip when he finds out and--."

Giving a smile that pretty much stopped her ranting, Ken gestured back to the Tacoma. "Why don't you come to my place first? Just for a look-see and then we'll discuss the rest of the details."

"But--"

"I don't mind. It's just that..." His eyes turned a bit nostalgic at this point, not to mention a bit sheepish as well. "A man can only live so long without a lady's touch in his home."

Red flushed into her cheeks upon the term "lady" and Karen turned around, hiding her embarrassment. "Well, I..."

"You'll be getting a place to stay with no problems."

"Yeah..."

"Only need to pay your share of the bills."

"Uhm..."

"No worry about neighbors bothering you at night."

"Er..."

"Fairly close to UCLA."

"That's good... HEY! How'd you--"

"You don't mind music practicing?" Zeke piped up, catching on his guardian's idea.

"Not really...."

"Kendo sparring or any budo practice in the early hours?"

"I'm used to getting up at odd times..."

A grin, white teeth flashing. "Then it's settled."

Karen blinked, then returned a smile that could make men sigh with love. "Very well. I'll take a look."

*    *    *    *    *    *

The face on the university student was one that would send Zeke into snickering in the future any time he thought about it. He couldn't help it! Who'd thought that eyes can widen that big. Her eyes were so stretched that they look like they were going to fall out sooner or later.

"No. Freakin. Way," she squeaked.

Ken chuckled sheepishly. "It isn't much, but..."

"'Much'?! Are you kidding me?! This is beyond 'much'! You're a cop, with a ward, and you live in a place like this?!"

Said place was a two-story penthouse close to the outskirts of Los Angeles and near Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Normally, in a city where celebrities lived and movies take place, you'd think the house would be like those of American style. In a nutshell, the two officers' home was literally of Japanese design, illuminated by stone lamps and the ones hanging from the eaves.

Clean, white walls surrounded the penthouse and another building, which was attached by a roofed open hallway. The roof was a dark indigo, made of ceramic tiles, also on the wall. The second building looked like a true dojo, straight out of the textbooks that talked about the various budo. Several trees were planted along the walls, as well a flower garden, koi pond, and a couple fruit trees. Leafy bamboo clusters sprouted as well, a large bunch near the body of water. An octagonal mirror, with the eight red trigrams surrounding it, hung over the door, reflecting the light from the waxing crescent of the moon. Near the back, Karen could see what looked like the parking garage, since Zeke had dropped them off at the front gate and left to park the Tacoma.

The large double doors in the front gate was, to her eyes, merely decoration since Zeke had opened a small one inside one of the large panels. Carved into the wide entrances were two dragons chasing after pearls, amidst clouds floating in heaven. A plaque hanging to the right had Ken's family name, in English and another in Japanese.

"Hi-mu-ra? 'Red Village'? Isn't your name 'Hilmringer'?" Karen said, pointing at the kanji on the name tablet.

"Ancestor's name. Shishou did a little digging on our family tree and pretty much insisted on having it written as well. He's a bit old fashioned with tradition. Come on in."

Inside of the house nearly surprised her again, if it wasn't for the outside, after removing their shoes and the lights flicked on. Upon entering through the metal shoji, a large aquarium stood right in front of her, exotic fishes swimming about. Green tatami lined most of the floor, the living room to the right and the rec room down and to the left. Wooden stairs, to the left as you enter the door, led up to most likely a couple bedrooms, the master bedroom, two baths, and the attic. Each section of the house seemed to be decorated according to the four seasons.

The kitchen, linoleum in place of the straw mats, was almost like being amidst a maple tree during the fall, with the reds, oranges, and browns mixing. Small plaques hanging about on the walls were carved into animals that roamed during the autumn season. Even the containers were shaped like the harvesting creatures. Mahogany formed the table and chairs, a deep russet matching well with the theme. A large wok stood on the stove, black from many years of usage.

The living room felt like stepping into spring, light blue and green, along with several potted plants, some longevity trees, and cottontails in small Ming vases. Hanging scroll paintings were of mockingbirds, swallows, and young deer. Sakura trees were also present, as well with bamboo sprouts. Several cushions were placed around the low table, the chabudai, the straw yellow patterns reflecting off the coming moonlight.

A peek into the rec room proved to demonstrated the cold solstice, navy blue with gray, splashes of white like a flurry of snow. A vase that sat on top of a drawer, which was decorated with cranes amidst the snowy background, contained a plum blossom branch, not yet bloomed. A beige couch was aligned with a couple love seats, as well a large screen TV, and a modest entertainment systems. There was also a dog bed, which Salem happily plopped onto with a "wuff".

Upstairs, five bedrooms matched the coloring of the five Chinese elements; Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Silver, auburn, light blue, red, and green for each room, respectively. Zeke occupied the Fire room, an assortment of electronic gadgetry laying about in a way that could be deemed "organized chaos". Stacks of papers laid neatly in a pile near the desk, including what looked like two violin cases. The Earth room contained stuff what looked like that belonged to a male elementary student.

Summer dominated the master bedroom, twilight indigo tossed in with deep magenta and bright green, a glass wind chime hanging by the open window. The king-sized bed seemed to have almost disappeared with the wall, had Karen not looked for the white pillows that stood out. It was composed of only two large mattress on the floor, with the bed covering underneath the blankets. A biyoubu, crafted from lacquered dark magnolia wood, sat folded in one of the corners, displaying a pair of Mandarin ducks with several ducklings in tow. A large bureau stood to near the bathroom, as well a desk stacked high with papers. The master bath had, other than the usual plumbing and a shower stall, a Jacuzzi large enough for five people.

The two baths looked completely to be made of wood, a shower stall in each and a large furo. Plus the usual plumbing that looked like, as if made from gray-white marble. Sitting on the windowsill in each room was a branch with closed buds in a bamboo container, like waiting for their seasons to return.

Looking up to the ceiling proved that the second floor rooms got most of their brightness from skylights, lamps providing in night. First floor from wide windows that are made from either glass or paper was how it received their source of light.

"Wooooow....."

Ken stood next to Karen, standing near the doorway of the master room. "So, what do you think?"

She popped her head out one of the window and looked down at the overlaying view of trees and the sprawling city, lights shining away. Stepping back, the student still had a look of awe on her face. "I actually like it here, so, it's a yes. Though, it's kinda hard to say at the same time... I mean, that you live in such a place with all this stuff....."

Trailing off, Karen waved her hand around.

"It's still all new to you and it's weird that a cop like me could have a place like this," he finished, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"Well, that. Plus, who sleeps in the green room?"

"Hm? Oh, Zeke's younger brother."

Karen blinked. "Younger bro?"

The older man nodded. "Fifth grade at the local elementary school. Quite the kid, that he is."

"Why's that?"

Moving down to the kitchen with ease, Ken pulled out a china teapot, scooped in some leaves/flower heads, and filled it with hot water from the water boiler. He also pulled out two small white cups from one of the cupboards. Giving a sigh, he let the water infused with the tealeaves, taking a seat while Karen took one adjacent to him.

"Zeke and his brother were originally the children of a yakuza and triad marriage. Plus, one elder sister that bears a strong resemblance to you."

Feeling that the flavor has sufficiently spread itself, the sergeant filled both cups. He served Karen first, then himself.

"I can't really say much about him or Yiheng."

"Yi-heng?"

"The younger brother. It's the boy's Chinese name, from their maternal grandfather's choosing; Zeke's father was the one who gave him that name. 'Yiheng' means 'resolute persistence' in Chinese," Ken chuckled, taking a sip from the hot tea. "Fits him quite well, though I can't say the same with Yiheng's surname, Ming. That means 'bright'."

Karen mulled over her cup a bit, tasting the slight sweetness of chrysanthemum. "Why is it that both boys are related but with different names? What about their sister?"

"You'll have to ask Zeke about that. I don't know all the details."

The sounds of arguing stopped what Karen was going to ask, Zeke and a young spiky-haired boy coming in from one of the side doors.

"You could've called me!" the pony-tailed cop protested.

"I'm not a little kid!"

Giving a suffering sigh, Zeke only ran a hand through his helmet tussled hair. It was quite a bit frustrating dealing with his brother at times.

"But what would happen if I didn't know where you went?"

"I'll be fine!"

"Yiheng," Ken broke in, his voice soft but demanding obedience.

Freezing in place, the fifth grader shuffled his feet, like an alcoholic caught with a jug of sake by the police. "I went to Yancy's place to finish up a project and we got caught up in it so I forgot to call."

Again, another sigh but that of relief. "C'mon squirt, bedtime."

"Don't call me squirt! And who's Ugly?" Yiheng pointed a finger at the sitting college student.

Karen's ponytail seemed to rise upon that comment, like a cat's tail bristling in anger or in fear. "Who're you calling Ugly?! I happen to be a rose in kenjutsu and a better student than you are!!"

"Oro/ara."

"So what?!" Yiheng grinned impishly. "Bet any guy would rather date someone else than with you!"

"Brat! Insolent child! I'll show you!!"

"Ugly, ugly, hag hag!!"

Zeke immediately dragged his brother away while Ken held back Karen, trying to calm the 19 year old down before she did any major damage. Not to mention wincing as he nearly pulled his stitches.

"Now now.... He isn't too bad once you get to know him. I suggest getting some sleep; I'm sure Kazeki brought in most of your necessities."

"Left-side of the bike," came the young teen's voice, as if knowing what his guardian was going to say.

"He drives a motorcycle?!"

Ken rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit sheepishly, letting go of Karen (and slightly blushing upon such close contact) to go to the garage in the back.

"Two bikes, from the money he earned while still living in Japan with Yiheng. Before I picked them off from the streets around Shinjuku and near Ginza, Zeke was considered the racing king amongst the yakuza. Whereas most racers go with the fancy Yamaha or Suzuki's, his was an old Kawasaki Ninja bike, reworked after having found it at the scrap yard. No, he didn't use any money in the account his sister left him; Zeke would rather earn what he needs the hard than the easy way. Oh, have you decided which room you want to sleep in?"

Karen tapped her chin in thought. "I'll take the Water room. Blue happens to be one of my favorite color."

'Hmmm..... Note to self, buy her something blue for Christmas. If I don't get killed during our annual party, that is.'

As the night continued deeper, almost everybody asleep, Karen stared at the plaster ceiling. It was decorated with swimming animals, ranging from both mammals and non-mammal marine life.

'Nice, soft, bed with a warm blanket for once! I could get used to this! Plus, tomorrow's Saturday!'

Looking around, the tones of blue seemed to calm her down, as if like staring a lake or the ocean. At the same time, there laid a tinge of a mystery that appeared to dance out of her grasp within her mind.

'Are there any strings attached? I've read stories how the girl who stays at this guy's home later finds out that he turns out to be a psychotic serial killer. But.... Mr. Hilmringer here is a cop and Zeke's also a cop, even though he's still a rookie. Guess I'll find out sooner or later, maybe around Christmas....'

Turning over to her side, Karen's eyes drooped shut and she dreamed of a red-haired man smiling and offering his hand to her. Funny thing is, he was wearing a navy blue kimono and a white hakama, with a nihontou in his hakama ties. Almost like he had came straight out of the Japanese history books.

%    %    %    %    %    %    %    %

Gold eyes slit open a bit when he felt an uncomfortable weight on his chest. Assuming it was Sax again, the captain merely grunted and tried to shift, hoping his K-9 partner would get off. Sensing someone in the morning was like trying to drive through a foggy night with only the parking lights on.

It didn't move.

"Sax, ge'off."

Still no movement.

Giving out a low growl, Kevin finally blinked blurry eyes opened. First thing in sight was Keith sitting on his chest, staring down at his father. This time, a groan from the cop and not just from his son's antics.

"Keith... You're starting to get a little old for this."

A cheery grin before the boy slid off and bounded toward the kitchen. Sitting, Kevin scratched his head, several locks mussed out of the ponytail and shook himself awake. Hearing a soft wuff to the side, a dry nose touched his as in greeting the officer a "good morning". A swift glance at the clock showed it ticking away fifteen past seven.

"And ohayo to you too, Sax," he grumbled out, slightly shoving the dog off of him. "Just let me at least get to the showers."

As if laughing, the canine gave a happy bark and also padded to where the chibi went off to.

Sighing, Kevin shuffled along the carpet and into the bathroom, letting the cold water run over his skin. The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing reached his ears but he ignored it, knowing who it was.

"Is that parole of mine still on?"

A soft chuckle. "I'm considering lifting it."

"How much longer?"

He could almost see the smile.

"Most likely probably until the Christmas performances, in which I think Zeke is conducting for the Nutcracker ballet at the LA Music Center."

"Grrrrrrr......"

Toni only laughed lightly. "Oh, don't forget. You said you'd take Keith to the Pier later today."

"Not again.... The last time we went there he wiped out ten dollars from my wallet!"

"Would you prefer Ennis driving him there?"

"............yes."

"Just so he can get some practice."

"He nearly trashed the Firebird the last time we went out practicing."

"At 3:30 on the weekend mornings."

"Barely any cars at that time. Him driving Keith around can give him extra practice driving when there are vehicles present during the day."

"You just want to see him get defeated by his own nephew on that game again. What is it? Oh yes, Dance Dance Revolution."

"Payback for all the times he bit me after our marriage," Kevin grumbled, shutting off the water and wrapping a towel around his waist.

Dark brown eyes softened, a soft hand touching his. "You can't blame Ennis for his behavior then."

A grunt, plopping down onto the covered toilet. "I know. It's just that I wasn't used to the idea of having another sibling, one real younger than me. Ken being my twin is a different idea."

Pulling out the toolbox-sized First Aid kit, Toni lightly dabbed his cut with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol before wrapping his shoulder up with new gauze. Years of her husband being injured on the job required some medical training and a strong stomach. Kevin barely flinched at all, his uncle's training rivaling almost any wounds he's received. Now, it was done with ease, although dealing with a physically hurt Keith was another story; the five-year old can really raise up quite the racket.

"I'm just be glad that we didn't have a daughter yet." Toni laughed softly, pulling out a wooden comb and running it through his wet hair. "I don't think Ennis and you will be able to handle it, much less Keith presently. If I'm right, all three of you might have quite the daughter/niece/sister complex."

Rumbling in his throat, Kevin pulled his wife close, nibbling on her nose. "Why don't we--"

"DAD!! Ennie's making fun of me again!!"

Speak of the little dragon.

"Am not! I only teased him a little bit!"

As well the tiger.

"You're just mad cuz I beat ya the last time we played DDR!"

"HEY!! I still beat you on King of Fighters, TWICE!"

"I outlasted you playing Metal Slug AND Marvel Vs. Capcom!!"

"How 'bout Area 51?! I got top score! HA!!

"You still can't beat me at Para Para Paradise!"

"Didn't make it past the first stage on House of the Dead, BRAT!!"

"Brat ja ne yo, Ennie!"

This time, the captain's low growl was that of frustration, causing the DA to stifle her laughter as she drew away.

"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT YOUR TRAPS!!" Kevin roared, causing both boys to cover their ears, Sax included.

"Yes' sir," they said, Keith albeit squeakily.

"We'll finish this up later," came out as a murmur before leaving a deep kiss onto his wife's lips. Toni couldn't help but flush after he left; still had that effect on her, even after six years of marriage.

Looking onto her ring finger, the DA thought back before they were married. Originally, she was supposed to be betrothed to another but her first fiancé's dying wish was that she be wed to Kevin. Neither of them thought that living together would really work, even though the captain had held a hidden crush on her. It had pained both greatly, struggling to get past old barriers and trying to create new bridges. Later, the two finally learned to love each other and Keith's birth was that proof of their hard work for trying.

Unfortunately, Ennis took much longer; the kid bore so much resentment toward Kevin one can say it was almost hate. He often blamed his new brother-in-law for the death of his sister's fiancée, saying that the police captain was the cause of her grief. Yet, after taking care of his nephew for the first time (baby nine months old, alone in the house), Ennis had seemed to have warmed up to his sibling by law but merely a bit. The resentment was still there, only more like the ward giving the parent/guardian a hell of a time.

Another ruckus sounded up again downstairs. Leaving the bathroom, Toni had to smile at the scene.

Kevin, while helping his son tie the shoelaces, was caught up in another argument as Ennis struggled with his boots. Again, this argument was one of those meaningless types where it was just a show of manly pride. Of course, she really has no idea what this squabble this time.

"Now, what is it with you two this time?"

Guttural snarls from both elder males was her answer, sparks flying like crazy (which is much more than Kevin vs. Sam) and dancing between their locked eyes. Keith, stuck in the middle, only sighed in exasperation before tugging on his father's shirt.

"Let's go already, Dad." A bright smile lit onto his face. "You can go up against Ennie at the shooting games!"

A grin. "Which one would you suggest?"

A replying smirk. "Time Crisis II. Two-player. As well House of the Dead II."

"You're on. Don't expect me to cover your as--"

"Kevin!"

"Sorry, Toni. Let's go boys."

A short whistle got the canine bounding from the kitchen and joining them, climbing into the Firebird with Ennis at the wheel. As they peeled off, the neighbors merely sighed as they heard the loud ruckus of arguing again and closed their blinds.

Shaking her head in amusement, Toni merely got ready for her workload at Downtown. Men, really, these days; still competing since the dawn of time.

*    *    *    *    *    *

Kevin stood by, watching his son beat the crap out of Ennis again on DDRMax 2, sipping an Irish Cream/French Vanilla combo. Despite being calm on the outside, his nerves were still highly tensed.

'Moron. How many times have I told him to look over his shoulder before switching lanes?!'

The trip from their home in Los Angeles all the way to Santa Monica Pier was close to being said as more of a roller coaster combined with one of those water rides. Plus a couple of brushes with several 18-wheelers in which the drivers were none too 

happy about such closeness with a small car.

"Yay! I win again!" Keith bounced off of the machine, cheering happily at his high-score (with the initials of "Batt") on the top. Several folks watching the dancing all clapped politely, a couple high school girls cooing over him.

Ennis merely grumbled, his number not even making it to the top score list. Not to mention the announcer's "NOOOOOOO~OOOOOOOO!!!!!" and the "BOOOO!" toward the ending of the song.

"Aw, shuddup, brat."

"BRAT JA NE YO!!" Immediately, the little one scrambled up his uncle and began to gnaw on his platinum hair. Veteran spectators laughed at the sight while newcomers gaped upon the scene.

"Hey! Get off of me!!" Deftly, Ennis plucked his nephew off and placed the pouting redhead onto the ground. "Now, let's see if your dad could beat me at Time Crisis II!"

Finishing off the rest of his coffee, Kevin merely smiled and tossed the cup into the bin. "Let's go."

Five minutes into the game, a large crowd had formed around the two shooters. Most of the experienced shooting players (some that are Ennis' school buddies) were amazed at the accuracy of Kevin and Ennis, their shots picking off almost all of the bad guys before they could even pull the trigger. Not to mention the speed as they went through each section of the game; barely twenty seconds out of the limited 40 and the pair is already onto the next stage.

"Man! They're good!"

"Never knew 'Nis would be a terrific shot!"

"Check out the score!"

"SWEET! Took out that guy right on the head!"

"Dude, that red head shoots like a cop."

"That's cuz he IS a cop, ya jerk! He'z 'Nis' bro-in-law!"

"Say what?! Get outta here!"

"No way!"

"Ain't lyin', man. Go ask the guy himself!"

Before any of them could ask, Kevin spoke up. "Don't ask boys. You never know or you might not want to know."

Ennis merely smirked at his schoolmates' reactions before pulling up the gun to fire off again. Keith just grinned, happy for once, to see that his father and uncle finally have competition against each other on something common for both of them.

"You attending the ballet performance Zeke's conducting?" the auburn haired officer spoke softly, still firing away the plastic gun.

A snort as a reply. "Ya think? Sis is gonna make us go anyways."

"Just checking."

Encouraging shouts from the guys.

"Overprotective jerk."

Cheers from the observing girls.

"Stubborn fool."

By the time the game ended, and after a round on "House of the Dead II", Kevin's arms felt like he had spent over two hours at the shooting range. Going through twenty chin-ups was the feeling according to Ennis. Neither had ever held a gun for such a long period of time, not even the captain.

A cold soda can held onto his limb got a sigh of relief. "This feels terrific."

"Much better if we can get into the tub," Ennis muttered, rolling another can across his head. Moving one arm, he winced as it made a loud popping sound. "Hate it when that happens."

"At least you two got top scores!" Keith chirped, sipping on bottle of juice from the nearby food stand. "You shoulda seen the other players' faces!! Their jaws looked about to really fall off!"

As the little one continued to rattle on, both older men merely shook their heads.

Yet, they had smiles on their faces.

--tsuzuku

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#4 of Author notes (long one, prepare to fall asleep):

Omochi had commented about it being a bit out of the blue but as I'm following both the anime/manga, Ken offering his place to Karen is fitting. Kaoru offered Kenshin her home without too much fuss after the fake Battousai fiasco with Gohei (anime). In this case of living in modern times, it's Jean (Jin-e) nearly killing her and Ken to the rescue but screw that. I had to get Karen to be with Ken somehow, one way or another! If not, then many KxK fans will be after me with pitchforks and whatnot weapons of painful infliction. *sneezes many times, holding back a couple* Ouch. *rubs nose* Seems like someone's talking 'bout me....

On the last chapter, some of you might be confused by the line "Sore wa himitsu desu". To long-standing Slayers fans, you recognized it as the trademark line of Xellos Metallium, our favorite trickster priest/Mazoku. Translation is already there, in Karen's thoughts. I had to add the wagging finger but decided to skip the closed eyes on Zeke. Why? ;) *waggles finger* Ja, sore wa.... hi-mi-tsu! *pauses* No da!

On that term "laceration" for Kevin's injury, it's medical-ese for "slash" or "cut by a sharp object", be it sword, a ceramic piece, or glass piece. Courtesy of 1st Medical Responder classes with a thick book that actually provided LOVELY pictures, which could make a weak stomached person faint.

BTW, on Karen's profile, I kinda goofed up a bit. Both parents are part Japanese, her mother part European. Kamaryn-san is part American, third generation, like the twins' mother.

UCLA (University of California in Los Angeles) is one of the most toughest universities to get into here in Southern California (according to a few, one of the not so great colleges). Getting in requires complete dedication, which I kinda lack (as of  now, I'm in a junior college), a heck lot of money, and nerves that are capable on dealing against/with stress. Since it's near Beverly Hills, I had to place Ken's home somewhat close to Hollywood/Los Angeles, as I know what's traffic like. Driving here on the road requires nerves of steel and a good dose of common sense. We've got some crazy folks who thinks that the asphalt is all theirs to control. Give or take for Karen to drive, 'bout twenty minutes if traffic is good. Thirty-forty minutes if rush hour is bad, plus, I have to take into account on the speed limit. Driving experience, few times saw my life flashing through my eyes. *sigh*

I know, a Japanese house amidst Hollywood/Beverly Hills is weird. Temptation got a tad strong. *sheepishly scratches head* In reality, your average Japanese home wouldn't look like that. Several rooms, yes but second floor looks almost the same, if it was two-story. If any of you guys ever watched/read "Ranma 1/2" in which they do shots over/in the Tendo residence, then you know how a modern-day Japanese house REALLY looks like. Not including the dojo, that is. Ken's abode is based off of my uncle's second home (he moved around quite a bit before finally settling down), in which the inside layout is basically similar. Trying to remember upstairs was a bit difficult, as it's been several years since I last saw the house.

If not the Saotome/Tendo home, then the place owned (and reformed by Washuu-CHAN) by the Masaki family from the Tenchi series (preferably Tenchi Muyo! and Tenchi Universe) will do as well, as theirs is a bit more recent and also a two-story residence. The Tendo's home is two-story but in Tokyo, whereas the Masaki's place is close to the mountain areas. The Higurashi home from "Inuyasha" is also another good example, but at least it's not near a lake!

There's a slight difference between the five elements of China and that of Western. In China, the elements consists of metal ('gold' but you get the idea), wood, water, fire, and earth. Most Western ideals goes for earth, fire, water, and wind.

A biyoubu is a folding screen, consisting of hinged panels and decorated with traditional paintings of scenery or animals. Quite useful for getting some privacy in changing clothes, if the door's broken. *pointy objects are violently thrown at this author's head, along with shrieks of "HENTAI!!"* Nowadays, some are used to contain family pictures.

An octagonal mirror with the eight trigrams on the frame is hung over the doorframe of a home, associating with Feng Shui (or Fusui for the Japanese folks. No real reference to the Fusui Arc of the anime series). Used to ensure good luck, good health in the future, and to calm the darn next door dogs down. Usually used by Chinese families who are traditionalists in Taoism or Buddhism, or insisted by the older members. One of my friend's grandmother insisted to have one so the times I visited her house the mirror's there. The wooden frame is usually painted green, red, and gold. Called bagua, the "ba" meaning "eight" in Chinese.

"Wind" by Akeboshi is the 1st ED song to "Naruto", one of the newer anime. The manga's already more or less finished in publication so all that's left is the show. I have to admit, the style reminds me a cross between Watsuki-sensei's style for "Gun Blaze West" and Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". If I'm right, then the one who created "Naruto", Kishimoto Masashi, might have been also an apprentice along side Watsuki and Eiichiro when they were still *smiles* "baka deshis".

The Pier is referencing to Santa Monica Pier, one popular So. Cal. landmark and tourist spot to go to during the summer or spring as it touches the Pacific. Back in the old days, it was part of Route 66, a highway which stretched from Santa Monica all the way to Chicago. You can't call it exactly an amusement park, like Six Flags, but it does has its own midway games, arcades, small restaurants, one Ferris Wheel, and a roller coaster. Very popular, though quite noisy.

Okay, that little moment between Kevin and Toni was unexpected, even by me. There was this some whim that told me to put it in. *scrunches eyebrows* Most likely satisfying KxT lovers.

Keith giving Ennis hell, that's for Firuze, as she is one of the most devoted Enishi-lovers I've ever seen in my anime fan years. Here's to ya, Fi-san! Oh, if some of the games mentioned above are a bit violent, not exactly. 

Yancy is Yuutarou. Go fig, huh? Maybe I'll put in that rivalry between him and Yahiko/Yiheng. ^\^


	9. Police Profile V

Profile Stats V  
  
SUMIMASEN! Procrastination on my part. 'Nuff said. Also, this one is a bit shorter.  
  
Disclaimers: All legal rights are to Watsuki-sensei, true creator and owner of RK. Asiyah is property of Firuze Khanume from her fic "Legendary". Arigatou for letting me borrow Asiyah, senpai!  
  
===============================  
  
Name: Khanume, Asiyah  
  
Age: 16  
  
DOB: 08/18/86  
  
Height: 4' 10"  
  
Ethnicity: Lebanonese/American  
  
Rank: high school student  
  
Bit of a fast temper, smart, kind heart, and very head strong. Some will say that she's a match for Ennis anytime but don't see her as a rival of Ennis. Having immigrated from Lebanon as a baby, she keeps her heritage steadfast, as well her current home's traditions. Several girls at school are jealous of Asiyah's natural bright red hair, the new girls often prompting the old "Is that your natural color or is it dyed?" Let's not mention her green eyes, also under the scrutiny of "Real or contacts?" However, she is not related to the Hilmringer twins, as people often speculate.  
  
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%  
  
Name: Saagra, Megan Taniak  
  
AKA: Fox Lady, Kitsune, "Healing Fox"  
  
Age: 22  
  
DOB: 12/27/80  
  
Height: 5' 5"  
  
Ethnicity: Japanese/Native-American  
  
Rank: Pediatrician, family practice  
  
Coming from a long line of medicine practicers on both mother and father side, Megan continues her family tradition, both Eastern and spiritually speaking. Having some Native American roots, specifically that of the Cherokee, she will ask for help from the closest shamans when necessary if any of her patients become a bit difficult to handle. Although persuading the patient's relatives that a spiritual healing is effective can be trying with heavy skepticism. Sharp wits, tongue, including medical tools, do watch your mouth around this doctor. She might not look like it but she's decent with throwing scalpels. Wife to Sam Saagra.  
  
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%  
  
Name: Ming, Yiheng  
  
AKA: Ah Yi, Heng  
  
Age: 10  
  
DOB: 01/10/92  
  
Height: 4' 2"  
  
Ethnicity: Chinese/Japanese  
  
Rank: civilian, elementary student  
  
As much as Karen calls him a brat, he is stubborn in the way that he wants to be stronger and not rely on people too much, not even his older sibling, Zeke. Not knowing his origins of being the child of a yakuza and triad marriage near Shanghai, he is ignorant of the things Zeke had to do in order to support both of them until Ken walked into their lives. Although his older brother often tells him of their older sister, now deceased, using surviving pictures, Yiheng can't help but look at Karen as the sister he never knew. The reason why he argues with her so much is to hide his feelings.  
  
===============================  
  
AN: Yiheng and Megan's birthmonths and heights are accurate enough, according to the artbook Hiden. If you guys are a bit confused, Yiheng is Yahiko while Megan is Megumi. Like I said, I keep at least the first part of their names and then play around with it.  
  
On Megan's heritage of being Cherokee descent, no offense to those who are from Native American families. I wanted something akin to Chinese accupuncture and Japanese shiatsu so shaman healing popped up. Plus, some influence of watching "Walker, Texas Ranger" whenever they did episodes dealing with the Cherokee. I was younger back then and I kinda like the Native American culture, with all their stories and beliefs (no, I'm not stereotypical). *rubs back of neck sheepishly* Some "The X-Files" episodes stuck behind in my head and that got me jogging my memory.  
  
Asiyah is Firuze Khanume's character from "Legendary" and I asked Fi-senpai permission. The stats here are from what I can portray on Asiyah based on my own opinion. Using "Khanume" as her surname is something I thought would be appropriate (if Fi-senpai doesn't mind). 


	10. Of Holidays and Flying Mishaps

Disclaimers: *a scroll unrolls, right to left* I, Jason M. Lee, hereby declare that I do not own "Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan" in any form of anime or manga or merchandise. All rights are due to Watsuki-sensei and Sony, as well Fuji TV. Asiyah belongs to Firuze-senpai, except Kazeki, who is of my own creation. *hanko of "Rii Jie" in katakana gets stamped onto the scroll*

...........................

*bursts out laughing* Couldn't help myself! I always wanted to do that! ^\^V

%    %    %    %    % denotes scene change from a location/characters

*    *    *    *    * denotes same time but scene change

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 5: Of Holidays and Flying Mishaps 

One week later....

London, England

Twilight began to settle along the edges of the old and new buildings in London. Children began to settle for bed while adults that had prepared for the graveyard shifts started out onto the tubes. At the foot of one hotel, it was bustling with people like ants on collecting food.

Men and women, all wearing army green, were running back and forth to the silver buses, tossing bags to and fro efficiently. Orders given out by the superiors, random chatter by the lower ranks, it was just the usual events of them getting ready to go back to being UN Peacekeepers on mainland Europe.

Scanning through his clipboard, Ash made sure check off what was already loaded: food, appropriate clothing, medical equipment, electronic paraphernalia, and the rest of the supplies. Another soldier was noting the carry-able arsenal on another bus, making sure that not a thing exploded or misfired by accident. As the current CO was out sick from food poisoning, the eldest Kamaryn was squad leader for the time being, even though he was an intelligence officer.

'_Over a bunch of American idiots in which they outnumber the British soldiers 3 to 1. How does Sam and Soren stand this... this... this wildness of their subordinates? Half of those jokes are downright ridiculous!_'

"Yo, Cap'n! Everything's loaded and we're ready to hit the road!"

Giving a low sigh, Ash nodded and switched to Captain mode, tucking his clipboard and nodding to his second-in-command.

"Company! Teeennn-HUT!!" shouted the First Lieutenant.

Immediately, all of the Peacekeepers scrambled to stand in front of him, skipping formation given the lack of space.

"All those present, go to your assigned buses. We'll be heading to Southampton, and then boarding back onto the /_HMS Edinburgh_/. Dismissed!"

All saluted. "YES, SIR!"

Thankfully, the trip was uneventful. As it was night creeping in, most of them were already counting sheep or sawing logs, some were chatting quietly, a couple player poker with space available, or whatever bus activities. Ash himself was busy writing away a reply e-mail, sent from Karen. Though the connection with the Net was a bit shoddy, since he was using his PDA to do it, connected to his cell in order to get further reception.

[From: little_raccon@yahoo.com

To: ice_snake@hotmail.com

Subject: HAPPY! and don't kill me for this!!

Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 23:30:25

Hey, big brother!

How's Peacekeeping going? I'm fine, as you already know from Sam and Soren, no doubt. Don't worry. Hospital says clean bill so I'm back on my feet and back in UCLA. Not to mention swinging a bokken on the students again. They just don't get it that you can't just impress visitors in order to get extra points! Bakas! And they've been slacking off again! Geeze...]

Ash had to smile at that. One past visit to the dojo, in army green, demonstrated how strict Karen could get. Most of the female students had to do a kata over fifty times (staring at him like a movie star) while the guys did another kata fifty-five times (trying to get out of practicing in order to talk about military).

[Bad news is that I got evicted by the landlord (Damn, fat pig) so you won't be able to visit there any longer. Good news is that I found a new place to stay. Although, I'm not sure if you're going to like it or not....]

Ice-blue eyes narrowed at that part. Even through electronic messages, she was always capable of transmitting her emotions on certain subjects.

[Thing is, I'm staying at this cop's place between Hollywood and Beverly Hills. He has two wards, one a cop rookie and the other a fifth-grade student. Quite the bachelor's pad, don'cha think?]

'_She's staying at a bachelor's home?_' Before he could break another tooth crown, Ash continued on.

[Now before you break your teeth again, listen first. He's actually quite nice though, if not a bit odd for doing laundry and cooking. Well, doing the laundry and having one heckvua green thumb, that is. His name is Kenneth Hilmringer, one of the sergeants in LAPD. The older ward, Kazeki Shinryuu, is the rookie but we call him Zeke for short. He does most of the cooking and housework. Yiheng Ming is Zeke's little bro and quite the brat. He keeps on calling me "ugly" for some reason. Wait till I get my bokken on him! I might teach aikido but I know kendo!]

A soft chuckle broke out at the part of her indignation on mentioning the kid. After picking up her first shinai at the age of six, any guy who would out right speak against "girls playing swords" found himself kissing bamboo and then asphalt or tatami. To say the least, Sam and Soren were extremely amused, whereas Ash himself prided on introducing the Art to her.

[Overall, it's a good deal. I get to stay and pay part of the bills while getting my own room with no leaks and no damages. 'Sides, the place is almost entirely straight out of Japan and wouldn't want them to be putting up plaster again. They even have a dojo that I can use whenever I like!

BTW, I'm attending a ballet performance at the Music Center before Christmas Eve, the 'Nutcracker' to be exact. Ken invited me but the main reason is that since Zeke's conducting the orchestra, they get free tickets to the really good seats, most definitely box seats. Later, we'll be heading over to Kyoto for the New Years party Ken's family is holding, then homeward bound. I'll bring back some souvenirs, maybe some of that green tea you've been so fond of and a bit of cherry mochi. Though I have to consider Customs...]

Any military personnel looking at Ash at the moment would've fainted, since the intelligence officer was smiling. Well, close to smiling for the man dubbed "the Ice Snake Captain" by the younger soldiers.

[Hope you're doing well. Can't wait till your next vacation, whenever that is. Bring me back some scones from England!

Your loving, baby sister,

Karen ^^]

Swiftly, Ash sent a replying e-mail before switching back to his clipboard and laptop, updating much needed reports. As much as he hated filling these things out, this captain was glad that they stuck mainly with electronic ones instead of the usual paper forms; took damn less time and less chance of a mess from mistakes.

'_I really should check out this Hilmringer._'

Last time Karen went on a date with an earlier guy back in high school, the idiot turned out to be a womanizer and a total asshole. Let's just say that Sam and Soren had a very long "talk" with Attempted-Boy Friend #24, involving some duct tape, plastic ties, hand cuffs, and some rope.

Fingers flying over his laptop, piercing eyes skimmed over the scrolling information, with the officer's picture.

'Negotiator/sergeant of the LAPD. On the force after graduating with high honors from the Academy, one of the most successful negotiators currently. Elder twin brother is one of the captains, also noted for his excellence in accuracy shooting as well apprehending the most criminals in the least amount of time.

_'Now this is interesting.... Kevin "Battai" Hilmringer.... I knew that family name was partially familiar. Who wouldn't forget the time he made one of the largest bust in police record after fresh out of the Academy? Even Soren speaks highly of him, as well the man's wife._'

More scanning of the profile revealed nothing more than the usual mentionings: awards, noted key points in career, etc. So he closed the window.

_'That man will do fine in my book......_'

A tiny smirk flitted onto Ash's face.

'_......if he proves himself in combat. Memo: ask the colonel for some time off._'

The surrounding Peacekeepers near him all suddenly got the chills, one even pulling a vest out.

%    %    %    %    %    %    %    %

December 23

_/"Nee-chan! Nee-chan!!"_

_"Chibi? What's the matter?"_

_"The other kids were making fun of me again." Small fists rubbed bleary eyes._

_Cool and calloused hands brushed his hair and held him close. "Maa maa.... Was it about you seeing things that happen in that happened later?"_

_"I told them that Aki-chan was gonna get hurt by playing with the knife but they didn't believe and then when he got hurt they all yelled at me and said they were gonna tell their kaa-chan and tou-chan and--"_

_A shushing sound, silencing him._

_"Let them think what they like. I think that what you can see is wonderful but you have to remember, not everybody will believe you."_

_"Like how I said I saw kaa-chan and tou-chan taken away and none of the bigger people believed me?" Innocent, grass-colored orbs looked up, still teary._

_Her arms tighten around him, like a warm blanket with jasmine. "Yes, because they didn't understand and don't want to understand what you have. Not everyone can see what you see. Keep it a secret but if people ask, say you just only knew or it was a feeling. Only tell when you trust that person."_

_A faint cry, that of a fussing baby, came from another room._

_"For now, be the little happy brother that I love and be the best nii-chan to our baby otouto. When you're older, maybe you'll understand more. Just remember, try to follow your heart."_

_"Un!" A childish smile, a tooth missing._

_A returning one, before she disappeared up in flames._

_Shock went through him, eyes widening and irises constricting. In his arms, his baby sibling cried out in the darkness, tears mixing with the cold snow falling amidst the sea of fire._

_"NEE-CHAN!!!!!"_/

"ZEKE! WAKE UP!!!"

Shaking hands finally got the rookie away from the dreaming world.

"Huh? Wha...." Looking around, Zeke saw that he was sleeping on his desk, still at the station. Most of the other employees had already left for their businesses, spending time with either family or friends and whatnots.

Ken's concerned face drifted into view. "You okay?"

Running a hand through damp bangs, he gave a shaky sigh. "Bad memories. What did you wake me up for?"

A calloused hand pointed at the time bouncing around on the computer, noting it 4:45PM. "You still have the ballet performance and then we have to catch a flight to Tokyo."

The "Ararara!" came out in a very Lupin III manner, thus Zeke scrambling to finish up several report in record time, plus grabbing his duffel. Not to mention snatching up the bag containing his tuxedo.

"Did Chiifu--"

A smile from the older officer, both bags already slung over one shoulder. "Good to go, so as long you got extra tickets for him and Toan. Miss Karen also requested three more for her relatives."

"'Relatives'?" Green/blue eyes blinked owlishly, one hand pulling out a small stack of the aforementioned paper pieces from a pocket.

"Her two older brothers and her elder sister-in-law."

One black eyebrow raised up, a ghost of a smile. "Out as a date with Karen-san?"

Ken sputtered. "N-Nothing really! She was hoping to see 'the Nutcracker' for a long time!"

"Suuuuuure," Zeke quipped but handed over the tickets nevertheless, as well dropping by two more at their boss' office. "C'mon, lover boy."

"Watch it or you're getting triple paperwork."

"Anything but that! I think I'm gonna need glasses or contacts if this keeps up!"

Laughter ran throughout the precinct, as it was a running joke that the youngest rookie often got the most of the paperwork. For some reason, give him a stack as big as a computer terminal and he'll finish it within half-hour. Papers often come in from other departments, such as Forensics, the coroner, adding to the load.

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

"How do I look?"

Giving a little twirl, Karen stopped in front of the small group assembled in the living room. As this was a formal occasion, she was at a loss on what to wear, not since her prom (which ended with two protective brothers chasing the escort after finding out that the idiot had nearly slipped something into her drink). Thankfully, her elder sister-in-law came to the rescue......and some teasing remarks.

Some time after the whole Udian incident, Karen finally told her brothers about her moving in with a bachelor (in reality, a week after). Suffice to say, Ken wound up face to face with a M-16 and a twelve-gauge, and two VERY over-reacting elder siblings in "protective-big-brother-mode" after opening the front gate the very next day.

"KENNETH HILMRINGER! YOU BETTER MAKE IT CLEAR THE HECK OUR SISTER IS STAYING WITH YOU!" Three guess to which sibling that was and the first two don't count.

The other one merely smiled grimly and fingered the trigger guard on his shotgun. "Yes, do explain to us WHY our only sister is living with you. No, not that I'm worried since you're also a law enforcer but more for our family."

Ken sweatdropped. Protective family members he dealt with before, true but relatives not THIS overprotective. Must be them standing for their father and mother, as Karen had told him all of their parents passed away due to either failing health or occupational hazards.

To say Karen wasn't pleased would be an understatement: both adult men were soon sitting in seiza position while she went on a full-blown tirade that lasted at the most four hours (as well both brothers had the comical flowing tears on their faces; you'd be embarrassed if you got told by your sister, younger sister no less).

"SAM! SOREN! THE HELL YOU TWO ARE DOING?!?!?!?!?! HAVE YOU IDIOTS NO SHAME?!"

"No, ma'am," both replied, unison and visibly cowering under her wrath.

"YOU DON'T BRING OUT GUNS AND POINT THEM AT SOMEONE'S FACE, MUCH LESS POINT-BLANK!! LOADED OR UNLOADED, YOU TWO COULD HAVE LOST YOUR JOBS!!!"

"Sorry."

"WHAT WOULD MOM THINK?! I CAN'T BELIEVE THE TWO OF YOU!! DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT EVER AGAIN!!"

"Yes, ma'am."

"DO YOU WANT SHAME ON OUR FAMILY?!?! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!! SAMUEL AND DAD HAVE GOTTA BE ROLLING IN THEIR GRAVES RIGHT NOW!" She was referring to her stepfather, who happened to be Sam's late adopted father; he had also worked with law enforcement until some idiot got their hands on some Angel Dust (better known as PCP) and a chainsaw. Needless to say, the dummy got life with no chance of parole.

"No, ma'am."

")#($&%!!! $)%(#&#$_!!!! &%~)@#!!!! YAROU!!!! BOTH OF YOU ARE AHOUS!!! BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA!!!!!"

"Sorry again."

And that was only the first few minutes.

Zeke had quietly joked to his guardian, "She's almost as scary as MY big sister when she's angry at her fiancée or something else." Thankfully, Soren and Sam profusely apologized to Ken and made it up by helping with dinner, surprising Yiheng (the kid thought that cooking was reserved for girls and "girly men", except his big brother) at their skill.

Looking away from the mirror on fixing his tie, lavender eyes widened at the sight.

A dark-blue, long-sleeved cheongsam was embroidered with white butterflies that flitted through jasmine blossoms in full bloom. Even though winter in LA wasn't exactly all that freezing, it was still cold enough to opt for the cheongsam be fitted to not have the traditional side-slit. Black two-inch-heel shoes, a light-blue shawl and matching butterfly earrings completed the outfit. Half of Karen's hair was pinned up into a bun, held by a gold phoenix pin dangling a tiny mother-of-pearl and a indigo ribbon; the rest hung down her back in soft waves.

"............"

"Well?"

Sam gave a thumbs up with a wink, whereas Soren smiled brightly. Yiheng grinned widely, struggling with his tie. "Ken thinks yer pretty... hag." Zeke wasn't present, having left earlier for preparations at the Music Center.

"Yiheng!" Ken protested, red gracing his cheeks as well Karen's. _'More than pretty......_'

"Yi!" The university student covered her face, barely hiding the flush of anger and embarrassment.

Her sister-in-law laughed, holding up her hand to her mouth and those presented swore they saw fox ears pop up (save the FBI instructor, who only raised an eyebrow). "Now really, Karrie. Take it as a compliment from someone who hasn't tried to peek up your skirt!"

Sam and Soren quickly looked over at Ken, who immediately raised up his hands in defense.

"Don't you start, Meg!" Karen shrieked.

Dr. Megan Taniak Sagraa merely laughed again and flicked some of her hair back, then deftly finished up Yiheng's tie. Known for her looks, graceful air, sharp tongue, genius brains, and flirting behavior, she is one woman to be wary of when around, even her husband. Do be very careful with what you say if there are sharp, medical equipment around. Especially in the dark purple dress she was currently wearing, as the saying goes, "dressed to kill".

Wanting to help people, Megan followed her parents and grandparents' footsteps of being a doctor (pediatrics and family) but wound up being a employed under a drug-smuggling ring for nearly three terrifying years. Sam had taken the lady in after a major narcotics bust and she was allowed probation under the eye of an officer, being that Megan had been taken by force at gunpoint when she accidentally witnessed a drug deal gone bad.

After quite the strangest on-off relationship that included arguments over the oddest/smallest thing which lasted over six months, the two finally tied the knot (Karen and Soren still joked about the reception, having taped a close-to-roaring-drunk-and-passing-out bride draping herself over a grinning cat-got-the-canary/cream groom).

"You truly are a fox," Karen's stepbrother spoke, drawing his wife close. "C'mon guys, we're gonna be late and I KNOW that you won't be happy if you don't get to watch 'The Nutcracker' this year." Sam finished it by pointing a finger at his sister.

"Who are you and what did you do to Sam?" Soren quipped, then ducking his head to avoid a swing.

With that said, they were able to reach the Music Center with ample time to spare (even with the closeness to Christmas, traffic actually went quite smoothly) and meeting up with Kevin's family (Megan and Karen immediately cooed over Keith, while questioning an embarrassed Ennis on his mixed hair color). The staff there recognized the twins on sight and quickly ushered them into their reserved seats, providing a terrific view of the stage and the orchestra pit. Small snacks as well some drinks were presented since dinner was out of question with the current tight schedule. Apparently, the Kamaryn/Saagra family were also headed to Japan on the same flight the Hilmringers were for the same reasons.

Sipping some water, Karen turned over to Ken and smiled. "I really appreciate it. Thank you for this."

A returning one, one hand waving nonchalantly since his mouth was full. "Nothing really. Zeke tries to get rid of those tickets whenever he can and this was an opportunity."

"Not just because to take me out?" she teased, brandishing a fork after spearing a piece of chicken.

"With your brothers breathing down my neck?" he returned, jabbing a thumb behind him.

Both male siblings sat back down and thankfully, the ballet was starting, thus saving them from 

Typhoon Karen. For this occasion, Zeke had let his hair out of its ponytail and slicked the bangs to one side with a bit of gel, making him appear a bit older (even with the short height, Yiheng joked that his big sibling looked a heck like Laguna Loire from "Final Fantasy VIII"). From a distance, one would never have thought the sixteen-and-half year-old was a professional part-time conductor and police rookie at the same time.

Throughout the length of the program, Ken couldn't help but keep glancing over at Karen discreetly. She was watching the entire show with a childish gleam in her eyes and rapt attention, along with Toni and Megan. All three loved the story as young girls and they were slightly surprised about that mutual interest. The negotiator's movements didn't go unnoticed.

"Checking out my baby sister?" Sam muttered under his breath.

"Leave my baby brother alone," Kevin sniped back quietly.

Both remaining siblings tried to diffuse the situation before they got out of hand, which Megan did it by pinching her husband's ear and Toni poking her's. Ennis, Yiheng and Keith snickered at their free show before quickly paying back attention to the real performance.

When intermission came, Ennis excused himself for some fresh air and to stretch his muscles. Walking outside of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (where the "Nutcracker" was held), his eyes caught bright red hair in a simple canary dress and white blouse also leaving the front doors.

"Khanume?"

Sharp emerald eyes whipped around to face him and a smirk reached her face. "Oh? You got roped into this as well, Yorkshire?"

He held his tongue, not wanting a reprimand from Toni later (if she ever found out) and sat down on a nearby bench, one hand gesturing for her to do the same.

"So, what brings you here?" he asked before tilting his head back to look at the stars.

Asiyah Khanume merely tucked a strand of crimson locks behind her ear, patted the dress around her, and slowly changed her smirk into a small smile. Same age as Ennis, as well attending some of the same classes, the two were quite the pair in many ways. From martial arts to academics to other skills, both strived to be the best they can, often competing to the extent that the more financially clever students began making betting pools (often in secret, since the school board looked down on gambling but most teachers didn't really care). How it all started, neither could clearly remember but they agreed that it was probably during their early childhood when memories were at the weakest. Now, the two were considered as best of friends (although Toni often bugged Ennis about his "relationship" with the Lebanese student, often having a smile that frightened him to no end).

"Other than my aunt and uncle wanting to see the show, I love the story."

"You got lucky. Toni made me come." He paused, placing his hands behind his head. "Not that I really mind."

A chuckle. "Is that so? You're the kind who would do anything for your sister, aren't you?"

"Hey, if she raised you since you were a kid after your parents were gone, wouldn't ya?"

"Point taken." Asiyah looked up as well, a wistful smile on her face. "I'm an only child so I don't really know the meaning of having a sibling. Much less love from your birth parents. Not even a having a cousin who spends half his time working at a major business comes close."

"Other than having someone to argue with or go for comfort, there's always the chance of nieces and nephews." Several happy memories on taking care of Keith slipped in, warming him inside against the night air a bit. Until a couple of the little redhead acting like a monster popped up, those got pounded back down.

"Maybe I should stay with your place for awhile for some experience?" she asked innocently.

Ennis immediately blushed and sputtered. "What? My sis is already asking me about you! I can't have her getting funny ideas! Bad enough with my brother-in-law and nephew! The brat's only five!"

Peals of laughter broke out from her, causing him to turn even redder and bring out some mutterings about "crazy girls". Calming down a bit, Asiyah rubbed her arms and breathed into her hands, having forgotten to bring a jacket.

Said article of clothing was being held in front of her face. Ennis had his head turned away, fighting the blush.

"Here. Sis would yell at me for not being a gentleman and I doubt your aunt would like it if you got sick because of me."

A bright smile came as she took the proffered jacket, which at once turned into a smirk.

"Gentleman, eh? Whadya do, take lessons from your brother-in-law?"

Something sounding a bit like "yeah right" came out but Ennis smiled as well.

"C'mon, intermission's almost over."

"But your jac--"

Ennis waved a hand. "Nah. Keep it. I've got plenty at home. Happens when your uncle's ward turns out to be a sewing fanatic. Prob'ly could give the major designers a run for their money if he really tried."

Heading back into the warm Pavilion, the two exchanged holiday wishes and reluctantly separated to go back to their respective seats.

Both ignored the adults' questions on lack/addition of clothing.

%    %    %    %    %    %    %    %

"Huh, both baka deshis are coming over with their families, as well extra luggage."

"Will you stop calling them that?"

"Hmpm, you would if you had to teach those two for almost a decade."

"They chose to learn from you." A deep sigh. "Wish she could see them now, she'd be so proud of them. What's this about extra luggage?"

"Apparently, one of those bakas got himself another boarder, who has relatives coming over."

"New Years?"

A raised eyebrow, then lifting of a sake jug. The other held his choko underneath.

"Do you think it'll be like last years?"

"This time, I'd say much more....interesting. If the old man has a say in it himself."

Somewhere in the mansion, a voice called out "I heard that!" Both drinkers chuckled.

"Still sharp as ever, that he is."

"Who do you think got their brains from?"

"No comment."

%    %    %    %    %    %    %    %

**Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)**

"I hate airports, I hate airports, I hate airports....."

"Rooster, you have GOT to get over that fear of yours!"

Sam turned a baleful look at his wife, stopping his mantra. "Ever got lost inside an airport for the whole day when you were a six-year old kid? That's what happened. Almost got run over several times."

Megan softened at her husband, wrapping an arm around him. "Sorry, Rooster. It's just that.... when I was still with the mafia, I never really paid attention to anything around me. Depression and hope, you know."

"Mou, KNEW we should've gotten the red-eye flight!" Karen huffed, zipping up her jacket. "That way, we could at least knock him out with some medicine or something."

"Karen! I will not let my husband be drugged like some dog or cat with a tranquilizer!"

"It'll be a heck lot easier traveling than having him complain continuously!"

The whole group had left for the airport almost right after the performance, changing out of their formal clothes first. Thankfully, their luggage were loaded onto a ready airport shuttle. Considering it was during the holiday rush, which the LA freeways were notorious for heavy traffic around that time, the two youngest boys fell asleep immediately. Zeke and Ennis stuck with battling each other on their GBAs while the adults exchanged soft chatter, occasionally listening to the radio.

Heading in to get their luggage check-in and heading toward the gate turned out to be interesting. Sam had immediately became adamant of not wanting to go inside, freezing up upon seeing the glass sliding doors. It took the other three men and two teens to finally wrestle him inside as they were causing quite a scene, drawing stares from other people.

Now, there were at their boarding gate and waiting to board the plane, Sam sitting with knees drawn up to his chest and shivering. Keith, on the other hand, had plastered himself to the window, watching the outside with childish interest, often asking Yiheng "what's that?" and "what are they doing?", who answered to the best he could without snapping. After all, the young student was like the little redhead once, asking Zeke when they had reached America for the first time. The K-9s had to be put into carriers and carted off to the animal section after swallowing some tranq pills, as per regulations since they were bigger than a toy-size dog.

Sitting next to Ken, Karen rested her head against his shoulder, eyes fluttering close. Noticing her warm closeness, he only blinked and shifted so that she could be more comfortable. In the background, Soren was busy spinning a pair of Chinese health balls in his hands as to avoid throwing himself onto Ken, a grim smile plastered on. Kevin merely looked with a bit of interest showing on his face, absentmindedly folding some random origami.

"...Ken?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

Karen closed her eyes, a small smile on her lips.

"Nothing really... For being a friend, for putting up with my quirks, and just listening to me. Even though we've been living in the same house for barely a month."

A silence between them, ignoring the sounds of the airport.

"Welcome."

After another half-hour of waiting, the intercom in their section blared to life.

**_"Flight 976 from Los Angeles to Tokyo, we will now begin boarding...."_**

--tsuzuku

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dai go no Author's Notes ("dai go no" = "Number 5 of"):

Firuze had wanted to see what would Karen's (Kaoru) brothers reaction would be after they find out she's living with Kevin and that was the best I could think up at the moment without going into much detail. Would've made it longer but my eyes tend to get tired and dried up when I look at a screen too long. 'Sides, I like playing around with the "big brother protective" thing. ^\^

For letting me borrow Asiyah, hats off to ya, Fi-senpai! Hope I got her as close as you originally portrayed her, senpai.

In Downtown Los Angeles, the Music Center is composed of four venues, taking up about two or three city blocks and is considered a tourist landmark, so to speak. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is where actual performances are held (went there during elementary school for field trip; ahhh.... the old days of being a bratty and immature kid), like "The Nutcracker". The Ahmanson Theatre for shows like "The Phantom Opera", as well the Mark Taper Forum, a smaller relative of the Ahmanson. And now the brand new Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the Los Angeles Philharmonics and Master Chorale. The idea for having such a Christmas ballet classic to be held down in LA came up when I was visiting up in San Francisco around the winter break. www.musiccenter.org is your site for info on upcoming shows and events of the LA Music Center.

There IS an actual ship named the /HMS Edinburgh/ with the Royal Navy of England (or Great Britain, or the United Kingdom). The /Edinburgh/ is a Type 42 Destroyer and is the largest one in the Royal Navy of that class. Backbone on providing anti-air defense armaments, as well quite effective against opponents on sea. You can go onboard and have a peek when it's visiting ports but you'll have to catch it first. Here's the URL: www.royal-navy.mod.uk/ In military talk, "CO" means "commanding officer".

Southampton should be familiar to most of you, if you know your National Geographic alongside with the history about the /Titanic/. No, I'm not trying to jinx Ash. It is one port that I know which might be capable of sending off the Navy ships from England.

The email addresses for Karen and Ash? Ah-heh...... Hey, it works. *shrugs*

In Japanese families, tradition has them heading back home to Japan if they're out of the country or if they can make it, in order to celebrate the coming new year. Normally, preparations begin on Dec. 13, house cleaning and food making to rake in the good luck. In China, it's something similar, although the Chinese begins their preparations about 4 weeks before the Lunar New Year (the wife returns to visit her family is one such tradition).

Los Angeles International Airport, LAX for short, is one of the world's most busiest airports that exists. Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport beats LAX, having obtained the name of "World's Busiest Airport" in the Guinness Book of World Records, while Hong Kong International is the "World's Largest Airport Terminal". I have to attest to Hong Kong's airport being the biggest, having been there myself a couple years ago. www.guinessworldrecords.com for info on both largest and busiest while www.lawa.org for more info on LAX and other airports near the LA area.

"Red-eye flight" is a term for us use to air traveling. Basically, middle of the night/extreme early morning flight that leaves you with, well, red eyes from the time spent in a plane. Happens if the plane ride is over five hours or you're crossing multiple time-zones heading west.

On Sam's fear of airports, I played with that on Sano's fear of steam trains. While Sano is afraid of trains on "how can so much metal move so fast?", I used the concept of childhood influence that Sam got lost in an airport once before living with Karen. Can't say much about myself on fears but I do have a fear of heights, but usually if there's no barriers (like scaffolding for).

Chinese health balls are weights with chimes inside, the yin-yang symbol on each and are often given as gifts for those who have failing health. Rolling the two balls in your hands is said to help with improving blood circulation, improve on your sleeping patterns, improve memory, and various other points that benefits the body and the mind. The trick? Pressure points on the hands. When you rotate both in your hands, the weight presses on the pressure points, simulating the corresponding ones in the body. It's also said to relieve stress. Hmmm.....


End file.
